Chapter 18: This is Called Professional!
The atmosphere on the bridge froze instantly.
The high-speed rotating blue sphere in Naruto's palm let out a whirlwind-like howl. Facing Chakraof this level, Zabuza was momentarily stunned, but the fierce light of the "Demon" immediately ignited in his eyes.
To him, the danger of Ninjutsu was far less shameful than having his tool stolen and being publicly humiliated.
"Since when did my 'blade' become something a kid like you can order around!"
Zabuza roared as his Chakra erupted. Completely ignoring his heavy injuries, he swung the chipped executioners blade with a momentum that threatened to shatter both people and that bizarre Ninjutsu together, slashing down fiercely.
"Haku! Since you've been touched by another man, you're a dull blade—useless!"
The blade sliced through the air with a whistling sound.
Haku, still leaning in Naruto's arms, watched the great blade that was once her entire world come crashing down. Her eyes dimmed, and she felt a sense of liberation instead.
To be killed by Mr. Zabuza... perhaps that is my final destination.
She closed her eyes, neither dodging nor flinching.
However...
"Didn't I tell you?"
Naruto's lazy yet overbearing voice rang in her ear.
"These legs are meant for wearing silk stockings, not for you to chop off!"
He didn't thrust the Rasengan in his hand; instead, the golden Chakra on his body surged violently. Naruto didn't use Ninjutsu at all; he simply raised his left hand, wrapped in Nine-Tailed Chakra, and slammed a punch into the flat of the executioners blade.
Clang!
The massive sound of metal clashing was so loud that even Sakura, standing far away, covered her ears.
Zabuza felt a sharp pain in the web of his thumb as a terrifying, monstrous strength traveled through the hilt and across his entire body. His body, pushed to its limit, couldn't withstand it at all; he and his blade were sent flying, sliding over ten meters across the bridge before stopping.
"Cough, cough..." Zabuza spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with disbelief. "This kid... how can his strength be so great?"
Naruto slowly retracted his fist and looked down at Haku in his arms, his gaze shifting from fierce to slightly aggressive.
[Close call, I almost broke my future Head of Housekeeping.]
[That old geezer Zabuza, did he really think I'd let him land that hit? What a joke. Even a single scar on Haku would be a profanation of a masterpiece!]
Haku slowly opened her eyes and saw the back of the person who had blocked everything for her.
Immediately after, a "career plan" that could change the rest of her life rushed into her mind through the heavenly curtain, accompanied by colorful images.
[Since she's a girl now, she can't train like a Ninja. If she develops hard muscles, the feel will be ruined.]
[The main direction for her future training will be—flexibility! And being an all-around housekeeper!]
[During the day, she'll wear a black and white lace maid outfit. The skirt should be a bit shorter to make cleaning easier... and to make it easier for me to look at her legs. In this bloody world, having an exclusive maid who kneels at the door and softly says 'Welcome home, Master' whenever I return—now that's the top-tier enjoyment for a Transmigrator!]
[At night... her Ice Release shouldn't go to waste. She can make ice beds in the summer. In the winter... ahem, white over-the-knee socks are the only thing that matches this skin. Black silk is for the mature older sister type, but white silk is the pinnacle of the pure-and-sexy aesthetic!]
Boom.
Haku felt like her brain was fried by these shameful words.
Maid outfit? Cleaning? Kneeling at the door?
Is Ice Release meant for making ice beds?
If it were before, she, as a killing weapon, would have found these words laughable. But now, after experiencing life and death, her change in identity, and that overbearing punch, these perverted ideas actually gave her a strange... sense of belonging.
No more killing.
No more being a heartless tool.
Just... wearing beautiful clothes, taking care of his life, and being looked at with that passionate gaze... is that all?
Under Zabuza's stunned gaze, Haku gently pushed Naruto's hand away. Then, on the rubble-strewn bridge, she slowly straightened her slightly messy pink kimono and knelt on both knees, performing a standard Dogeza prostration toward Naruto.
Her long hair trailed on the ground, revealing the vulnerable white nape of her neck. Though her voice trembled, it carried a piety as if she were surrendering her very soul.
"If... you do not despise these hands that only know how to kill."
"Haku... is willing to wear any clothes you desire for your sake."
"From this day forward, you are my... Master."
The last word was so soft it seemed it would be scattered by the wind, but to Naruto's ears, it was like a clap of thunder.
Naruto's heart, which had just calmed down, began to race again.
[Holy crap—! Is this the bliss of a voice fetishist? That 'Master' made my very bones go soft!]
[Even though the System didn't give a reward, the visual impact of this scene is more intense than a thousand Rasengans! It's done! She's officially Waifu Number One... cough, Maid Number One!]
Zabuza watched this scene blankly, nearly losing his grip on his blade. The cold-blooded killer he had meticulously trained, the prideful owner of the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, had been sweet-talked into becoming a... maid in just a few sentences?
"Haku! What are you doing! Are you betraying me?!"
Before Zabuza could finish his roar, a sickening round of applause came from the other side of the thick mist.
"Clap, clap, clap."
"What a wonderful show. Zabuza, I didn't expect you to sink so low as to watch children perform a family drama?"
A large group of Wandering Samurai and Thugs holding swords and spears emerged from the mist. Leading them was the short, wretched-looking wealthy merchant Gato, wearing sunglasses. He looked at the disheveled Zabuza with a face full of mockery.
"Gato..." Zabuza narrowed his eyes, his killing intent reconsolidating.
"Don't glare at me like that, you're all going to die here anyway." Gato waved his hand arrogantly. "I no longer have any use for a high-priced piece of trash like you. Today, you, and these Konoha flies, are all going into the sea to feed the fish!"
Hundreds of Thugs let out a burst of laughter, their weapons clattering against the ground and creating a noisy din.
Naruto, who had been in the middle of a "spiritual exchange" with his newly acquired maid, saw his face instantly darken.
He slowly turned around, the displeasure of having his beautiful dream interrupted turning into a heavy, low-pressure aura.
[Where did all these flies come from? So many of them?]
[I was just developing feelings with Little Haku and had just planned out the length of her over-the-knee socks when I was interrupted by this group of noisy small fry?]
[Unforgivable.]
[In this world, there are two crimes punishable by death. One is wasting food, and the other... is interrupting me while I'm looking at legs!]
He raised his right hand, fingers spread wide.
A violent gale began to gather in his palm—a high-density energy that mixed the vast life force of the Uzumaki Clan with a hint of the Nine-Tailed's rage.
A blue Chakra sphere formed in his palm, the high-speed rotating airflow tearing through the surrounding thick mist and whipping up a small whirlwind on the bridge.
"What kind of Ninjutsu is that?" Gato took off his sunglasses, fear appearing in his small eyes for the first time. He could feel the terrifying power contained within that sphere.
Naruto's gaze was ice-cold.
[I don't even need a Shadow Clone to deal with trash like you.]
[I'll use this move as my first gift to Little Haku. What do you call this? This is a man's romance.]
[Even though I can't rub out a nuke like the Shuriken version yet, this half-finished 'meatball' is enough to sweep away the trash!]
"Zabuza, keep your eyes wide open."
Naruto stomped his left foot hard, causing the concrete ground beneath him to crack instantly.
"This is... the power that can protect her!"
He charged out like a bolt of golden lightning.
Facing the group of enemies, he didn't retreat but advanced; the Rasengan in his hand didn't weaken, but instead grew a size larger as if responding to his battle intent!
"All of you... die!"
"Rasengan!"
Boom!
In that instant, it was as if a miniature bomb had detonated in the center of the crowd.
Blue light swallowed everything. The rotating storm swept the first dozen or so Wandering Samurai into the air like ragdolls, their screams instantly drowned out by the wind. The violent airflow didn't stop; it pushed forward in a straight line like a bulldozer, crushing and blowing away everyone and everything in its path, whether man or weapon.
Half the bridge was trembling.
When the light dissipated.
In the middle of what had been a dense formation of a hundred people, an absolute vacuum zone five meters wide and dozens of meters long had appeared.
The rebar in the ground was exposed, emitting scorching steam.
And Naruto stood at the end of that vacuum zone, maintaining his striking pose. The sleeve on his right arm had been shredded by the wind pressure, revealing a lean and strong arm.
He gently shook his hand and looked back at the completely stunned Haku, a smile he thought was very sunny appearing on his face.
"Done. Now... can we continue discussing the details of the maid outfit?"
Kakashi silently covered his revealed Sharinganback up.
He watched his Sensei's famous signature technique become so... crude in Naruto's hands, and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.
"Sensei... it seems your technique is being used for a very strange source of motivation."