> "That little devil from Konoha has gotten much stronger!"
Zabuza didn't expect his water clone to be dispelled so quickly.
That Uchiha brat—if Zabuza remembered correctly—was nearly paralyzed with fear the last time he faced his killing intent. And now? He's improved dramatically in just a few short days?
Zabuza was slightly surprised but didn't take Sasuke too seriously.
Though this Uchiha kid had potential, he was still miles behind that Naruto.
> "Haku, I'll leave this Uchiha brat to you."
> "Yes, Mr. Zabuza."
As Haku responded, a light mist spread around him, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight.
> "Mist Step!"
He reappeared behind Sasuke like a phantom. But Sasuke reacted swiftly, pulling out a kunai to counter Haku's strike.
> Clang! Clang! Clang!
The clash of metal rang out as the two engaged in a dazzling high-speed battle. For a moment, neither had the upper hand.
Haku was taken aback. The Uchiha boy had improved significantly!
As their close-quarters combat intensified, Haku suddenly formed a hand seal—with just one hand.
Hatake Kakashi: "He can form seals with one hand? That's impressive…"
Haruno Sakura: "Kakashi-sensei, you're kind of falling behind…"
> "Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death!"
Mist condensed around Sasuke, transforming into hundreds of sharp water needles, aiming to pierce him from every direction.
But just before the deadly barrage struck, Sasuke remembered something Naruto had once taught him.
> "Concentrate chakra in one part of the body. In the hands, it'll enhance your power. In the legs, it'll boost your speed!"
> "Not teaching you to defeat anyone—just teaching you how to survive."
> "After all, I don't want anyone on a mission with me to die."
Sasuke always got angry thinking about that last part.
> "That idiot Naruto… acting like I'd die on a mission! Don't look down on me! I'm a genius of the Uchiha Clan!"
Fueled by rage and pride, Sasuke pushed himself beyond his limits. His chakra control had far surpassed the original Sasuke from the manga, thanks to relentless training and his rivalry with Naruto.
And now, his Sharingan evolved—revealing the double tomoe.
Uchiha Fugaku: "This boy isn't bad. He's still younger than Itachi was at this level, but not too far behind."
Kisame: "Looks like your brother is making real progress, Itachi-san."
Uchiha Itachi: "It's too early. He needs more anger, more hatred… especially toward me."
Uchiha Mikoto: "Itachi… Sasuke…"
Mikoto and Fugaku both knew the dark truth behind the Uchiha massacre. Itachi had carried out the slaughter, but they had willingly accepted death for the sake of peace.
As a mother, Mikoto didn't want Sasuke to harbor hate toward Itachi—but she also understood Itachi's burden. So, for now, she couldn't tell him the truth. It would only tarnish Konoha's image.
> "Haaahhh!!!"
Sasuke shouted, channeling chakra into his feet. With a powerful leap, he soared several stories into the air, narrowly dodging the deadly water needles.
Before even landing, his hands formed seals rapidly.
> "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, roaring toward Haku.
Seeing the scale of the attack, Haku finally stopped holding back.
> "Secret Technique: Demonic Ice Mirror!"
A gleaming ice mirror materialized before him. Even the Great Fireball couldn't melt it.
Before Sasuke hit the ground—
> Swish! Swish! Swish!
Dozens of mirrors appeared around him, trapping him in the center.
Inside each mirror, Haku's reflection stared coldly at him.
> "It's a Kekkei Genkai!"
Kakashi sensed something was off and prepared to intervene. But Zabuza intercepted him with a powerful strike.
> "Sorry, Kakashi. Your opponent is me!"
The intense battle between the two Jōnin resumed, while Sasuke fought for his life within Haku's ice prison.
By the time Uzumaki Naruto arrived on the bridge, the thick fog still lingered heavily.
The sounds of battle made it clear—it was far from over.
> "Mr. Zabuza! Naruto's here!"
Even after using his Bloodline Limit, Haku was still far stronger than Sasuke.
At this moment, Sasuke's body was pierced by several senbon needles.
> "Haku, I'll leave Naruto to you. I'll take care of Kakashi soon."
Hearing Zabuza's command, Haku nodded. There was no point continuing his battle with Sasuke. The Uchiha boy's Sharingan was growing more adept at tracking his movements inside the mirrors.
If this went on, Haku wouldn't be able to land another hit.
So he created a clone to delay Sasuke and prevent him from interfering.
As Naruto stepped onto the bridge, a crystalline ice mirror appeared before him, followed by many more.
This time—more than ten times the number used against Sasuke.
It was obvious: Haku saw Naruto as the true threat.
> "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I must stop you from advancing."
> "Please understand… I only want to protect someone precious to me."
> "Helping Mr. Zabuza achieve his dream… that's my dream too."
> "Haku… you're too naive."
Naruto stood calmly, eyes scanning the maze of mirrors.
> "You think you can trap me with these?"
Under Haku's stunned gaze, Naruto pulled a scroll from his pouch. With a puff of smoke—
> Boom!
Zabuza's Executioner's Blade appeared in Naruto's hands.
The sword had been restored to its original form—Naruto clearly knew its secrets.
Gritting his teeth, Haku prepared himself. Though he didn't want to hurt Naruto, he had no choice.
His image began darting across the ice mirror surfaces at incredible speed.
The increased number of mirrors enhanced his mobility, but at a terrible cost—it drained his life force.
But Haku had already made his choice.
> "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Dozens of Naruto clones suddenly appeared inside the mirror formation, all wielding Zabuza's massive sword.
> "Haku, none of your techniques can touch me now!"
> "Konoha's Secret Technique: Dance of a Thousand Suns and Moons!"
In an instant, the air lit up with thousands of shimmering sword arcs, glowing like moonlight.
> Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
The blinding blade strikes from Naruto's clones shredded every ice mirror in their path.
> "Urgh!"
Haku, hidden within the mirrors, was struck by Naruto's true body and sent flying from the formation.
Blood spilled from his mouth as he crashed to the ground.
He couldn't move anymore. Naruto's strength far surpassed his own.
> "I'm… I'm sorry, Mr. Zabuza…"
> "Even as your tool… I wasn't good enough…"
Lying motionless, Haku looked up at the beautiful, lingering light from Naruto's attack.
It reminded him of another night long ago—the night he first met Zabuza.
The moonlight back then had looked just like this… soft, white, and pure.
---
End of Chapter 40
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