Chapter 122
"Just as you said, to protect the person most important to you, you can do anything."
"Unfortunately, we stand on different sides."
"I can only ask you to die…"
"Sorry!"
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Haku lay on the ground, his face not showing much fear or despair, still carrying a detached indifference, but also a hint of unwillingness… "Kill me. I am a tool to protect Zabuza-sensei."
"Since I can't do that, then I'm of no use…"
"I can only die."
Naruto heard his mechanical voice, but he wasn't particularly moved.
He was no longer the original Naruto.
He had killed people, killed Mizuki, and his mindset was completely different from the original Naruto.
"You can say whatever you want, whether you consider yourself a Ninja or a tool, it doesn't matter…"
"But in the end, you are bad guys. Hired by someone like Gato, you tried to assassinate Tazuna, who is building a bridge for the Land of Waves, and you also wanted to kill Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, Hinata, and everyone else."
"I don't care about anything else, but you tried to kill the people I care about most…"
"I will never let you get away with it!"
Naruto showed no mercy and wasted no words.
He gathered his last Chakra, transforming it into a violent gale that swirled around his fist.
"Goodbye."
"Wind Release: Whirlwind Fist!"
Rumble—
Boom!!!
A fierce blow landed squarely on Haku's chest, causing his body to cave in. His bones shattered, his internal organs completely ruptured, and blood flowed from all seven orifices.
But he still didn't die immediately.
Haku painstakingly turned his head to look at Zabuza Momochi, who was also dying.
"Zabuza-sensei, I'm sorry, I was useless, I couldn't protect you…"
"But at least, I can die with you and go to another world…"
At this point, Haku closed his eyes with a relieved smile on his face.
For a moment, the entire scene was silent.
Zabuza Momochi looked at the deceased Haku, his eyelids twitching slightly.
But he still said coldly, "Useless trash!"
Hinata couldn't help but change her expression.
"He risked his life to protect you, and you, you still say that…"
Naruto stepped forward and shook his head at Hinata.
"People like him don't understand the meaning of bonds."
"Hinata, can you do it?"
Hinata had just, without hesitation, knocked down Zabuza and held a Kunai to his vital throat point to save Naruto, no matter the cost.
But now that Naruto was out of danger, she hesitated to kill him just like that.
This was actually natural.
One must know that even in the original work's final act, Naruto never killed anyone.
He mostly just severely injured them, and Kakashi Hatake would finish them off.
Moreover, this was Hinata, a Genin who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy.
Naruto nodded, "Then let me do it."
He gently took the Kunai from Hinata's hand and aimed it at Zabuza Momochi's throat.
"Hahahahaha, hahahahaha!"
At the last moment of his life, Zabuza Momochiactually let out a loud laugh.
"I never thought that I, Zabuza Momochi, would ultimately die at the hands of such a brat. How ironic…"
"Perhaps, this is my retribution for killing those brats from my generation?"
"Heh, it doesn't matter anymore. I've killed my whole life, lived freely my whole life. It's just a pity I couldn't kill that scoundrel Mizukage—"
Naruto said, "I don't know any Mizukage, but you almost killed Kakashi-sensei, you almost killed Sasuke. If you don't die, they will, so…"
He no longer hesitated, and the Kunai in his hand plunged into Zabuza Momochi's throat.
Pfft—
Blood gushed out. Zabuza Momochi tried to say something, but only spat out large mouthfuls of bloody foam.
He glared at Naruto with hatred, his eyes wanting to devour him alive.
But at the last moment, he still couldn't help but look at the figure of Haku, who had died smiling nearby.
Then… it was all over.
The entire scene was silent.
Naruto finally exhausted all his strength, his spirit also reaching its limit, and he collapsed onto the ground with a thud.
Tazuna hastily said, "Naruto, are you alright?!"
Naruto managed to force out a smile.
"Of course I'm fine! I, Uzumaki Naruto, am a genius!"
Tazuna was startled, then smiled wryly and shook his head.
"What a guy who loves to show off…"
Tazuna first looked at Kakashi: "Kakashi-sensei, how are you?"
Kakashi said, "I'm, I'm fine…"
"Naruto, you did very well, you saved everyone…"
He smiled faintly, also completely exhausted, and then passed out.
Naruto knew he was just overly exhausted and wasn't too worried.
"What about Sasuke?"
Sasuke was also weakened from the prolonged intense battle and the overuse of his Sharingan's ocular power, but he had fought with all his might and struggled to stand up.
"I'm fine."
His tone was filled with complex emotions.
Earlier, Naruto had risked his life to save him.
This left Sasuke with a mix of emotions, his feelings surging like towering waves.
Naruto breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him stand up.
This battle was Team 7's first true battle.
Although it was full of twists and turns, facing life-and-death crises several times, it also solidified the bonds within Team 7, truly establishing their understanding and emotional connection.
Tazuna carried Kakashi Hatake on his back, Hinatasupported Naruto, and Sasuke stubbornly insisted on walking by himself.
The group supported each other as they walked towards home.
Inari witnessed these scenes.
As the sun set, Naruto's shadow stretched long, reaching Inari, who was waiting in the middle of the road, blocking the sunlight, yet seemingly plating Naruto with a golden glow, making him appear somewhat sacred… Inari murmured, "Is that…"
"A hero?"
...As a result, Team 7 rested at Tazuna's house for nearly half a month.
The weakest, surprisingly, was Kakashi-sensei.
His Sharingan's ocular power was overdrawn, and he lay for more than ten days before fully recovering his strength.
As for Sasuke and Hinata, they only suffered severe Chakra depletion and no serious injuries.
Naruto, the only one seriously injured, was hit by dozens of Haku's senbon needles. For an ordinary person, it would take at least a year and a half to recover, but Naruto only took two or three days to recover almost completely.
Such formidable vitality and recovery power astonished everyone.
While Kakashi was barely able to move, Team 7was not idle.
Sasuke completed his tree-climbing training and soon moved on to water-walking special training.
Hinata and Naruto were specifically taught by Kakashi to make up for their weaknesses and develop their strengths.
Half a month passed.
Tazuna had also resumed bridge construction.
During this time, Gato led many thugs, attempting to stop everything, but they were easily defeated by Team 7.
Such ordinary people, no matter how numerous, were no match for Ninja.
The bridge still needed a long time to be fully built.
However, Tazuna had already promised that the bridge would eventually be named… NarutoBridge!
Naruto was naturally thrilled; what he most desired was this feeling of being recognized.
Finally, the time for farewell arrived.
Tazuna's family, Tsunami and Inari, all came to see them off.
Many villagers from the Land of Waves also came to the shore, watching the heroes who saved their country depart.
Inari waved his arms and shouted loudly.
"Big Brother Naruto! I'll work hard too!"
"We will definitely meet again!"
Naruto also clenched his fist: "Oh! When we meet next time, I might already be Hokage!"
Inari smiled, "I'll also become a man like Big Brother Naruto!"
"It's a deal then!"
The small boat gradually moved away, slowly disappearing into the thin mist… The Land of Waves mission ended.
For Team 7, although it was less than a month, it felt like an incredibly long journey.
Having endured trials of life and death, the entire Team 7 was reborn from the ashes, completely refreshed.
Finally, they returned to their beloved Konoha Village.
Naruto became overjoyed, wanting to wander around and enjoy himself.
But Kakashi informed him that they had to return to report on the mission first.