Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Cardo's Betrayal, Zabuza's Advice
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"Idiot…"
Ignoring the samurai bandits, Sasuke watched as the proud Cardo taunted him mercilessly.
Although Sasuke knew this man had a brilliant mind, he didn't expect him to be so impatient. Now that everything was revealed, didn't this force Zabuza to rebel?
"Kakashi… sorry, looks like our war is over! Now that old man is no longer our target."
As Sasuke had predicted, Zabuza, who was about to retreat, suddenly changed his stance and showed his coldness. Dealing with Kakashi and the others in his and Kingsu's situation had been difficult, but facing Cardo was like killing chickens and dogs…
"Like this? I understand…"
"Naruto, Sakura, protect Mr. Tatsuna. Leave the rest to me and Sasuke."
Kakashi spoke calmly, looking deeply at Zabuza. He then adjusted his strategy. Even though they now had the power to deal with Zabuza, there was no need to take unnecessary risks in battle.
If Zabuza attacked and killed someone, or if he escaped to target them, Kakashi couldn't afford to take that chance. Being targeted for assassination by an elite jounin was no laughing matter.
"Ah… has this changed?"
Naruto shouted blankly, struggling to accept the sudden change. He couldn't understand why everything seemed to flip so suddenly.
"This is it! Can we trust him, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, her eyes warily darting between Zabuza and the unconscious Kingsu.
These two had nearly killed Naruto just moments ago. They were dangerous, and had forced Sasuke and Kakashi into a tough fight.
"This is what it means to be a ninja," Kakashi replied. "On missions, we often face complex and unpredictable situations. No one knows what sudden changes will occur. That's why staying calm and logical is the foundation of a mature ninja. Zabuza and his companion have no conflict of interest with us. In fact, for now, they're our allies."
Sasuke, who had remained silent until then, nodded slightly, as if agreeing with Kakashi's words. He then turned his attention back to Zabuza, observing his movements.
"Team or allies?" Naruto and Sakura both exclaimed in disbelief, the thought of working alongside Zabuza and Kingsu still difficult for them to process.
"You two…" Zabuza shot them a cold glare. "You're much worse than that kid, Sasuke!" He turned to face Cardo, his bloodthirsty eyes locking onto the merchant.
Cardo, having witnessed Zabuza's fierce demeanor, took a step back, anger and fear evident on his face.
"Hurry up, kill him quickly!" he screamed.
Seeing Cardo's desperate face made Zabuza smile cruelly. With a swift movement, he unsheathed his beheading sword and advanced toward the samurai ronin who had been in his way.
Kakashi, taking the opportunity, stepped aside, watching the situation unfold. "Naruto, Sasuke, stay back," he instructed. "This is a battle between a fugitive ninja and his employer."
As Zabuza passed Kakashi and the others, he swung his sword effortlessly. The samurai ronin screamed as he was sliced in two without so much as a struggle. He wasn't even a worthy opponent for Zabuza.
"Hiss… so scary…"
Naruto stared at the fallen ronin, a mix of awe and fear in his eyes. "Kakashi-sensei, are we really not going to intervene?"
"A fool…" Sasuke rolled his eyes and snapped at Naruto. "Why would we interfere? They're fighting among themselves. This gives us the perfect opportunity to recover and restore our chakra. We'll be ready to fight again if needed."
Sasuke sat down, closing his eyes to regain his energy. His red magatama Sharingan flickered as he observed Zabuza's technique, absorbing the experience to improve his own taijutsu.
Zabuza was a master of Kirigakure's assassination techniques, and his strikes were clean and brutal. Sasuke didn't miss a single detail.
"Naruto, Sasuke is right. Stay here," Kakashi added. He was secretly keeping an eye on Naruto's seal, making sure the situation with the Kyuubi was stable.
While Sasuke was busy watching, Cardo was in the middle of a shocking moment. A dozen or more of his bandits joined forces to attack. The assault lasted only three minutes before more than thirty of them were killed.
Cardo and his men were shaken, their confidence shattered. But the more they struggled, the faster Zabuza cut them down.
After killing ten more bandits, Zabuza finally turned his attention to Cardo. The merchant, now terrified, began shouting in desperation.
"Run! This thing is a demon! A real ghost…"
"Oh my god, ninjas are terrifying…"
As Cardo heard the bandits' cries, his will crumbled. The remaining men began throwing off their armor and helmets, frantically running for their lives, desperate to escape by jumping into the boat or the sea.
"You bastards, wait for me!" Cardo screamed as he hurled his crutch aside, trying to flee.
But Zabuza wasn't about to let him escape. He appeared in front of Cardo in an instant, his cold, murderous aura radiating from him.
"Please don't kill me!" Cardo begged. "I'm your employer! If you kill me, no one will hire you again! You rogue ninjas, losing your trust will only lead to death! I'll double the payment, no, I'll pay ten times more if you complete the job!"
Cardo fell to the ground, his face contorted in terror as he tried to bargain for his life.
Zabuza's expression remained cold as he glared down at the trembling man. "Ten times more? Hahaha…"
He chuckled darkly. "The most important thing for a rogue ninja is their reputation. No employer will hire a rogue ninja who kills their employer. But what you've forgotten is this: you were the one who made the first move! You betrayed us first!"
With a flick of his wrist, Zabuza's blade cleaved through Cardo's neck, severing his head in one clean stroke.
Zabuza looked down at Cardo's headless corpse and spoke to himself with a slight smirk. "I should've mentioned this earlier. Rogue ninjas like us prefer arrogant employers. It's so easy to take everything from them without hesitation…"
He then kicked Cardo's body into the sea, where the fish would feast on it.
Turning back to Sasuke, Zabuza noticed the young Uchiha's interest in his silent assassination techniques. "Oh? You've been using your Sharingan to copy my taijutsu, huh?"
Sasuke's eyes glinted with determination. "You were right, Zabuza. I've been learning from your moves."
Zabuza's face darkened as he walked over to the unconscious Kingsu. He scoffed at Sasuke. "Just remember this—don't use that secret technique of mine carelessly. If you do, you'll attract the attention of Kirigakure's ANBU. They won't take kindly to it, especially the Mist Ninjas."
Zabuza's voice held a slight mockery as he spoke. Sasuke's eyes flickered as he took in the advice, knowing the weight behind it.
A system notification pinged in Sasuke's ear.
[Zabuza's advice has been received. A C-level reward is triggered.]
Mission: Do not use the Silent Killing technique recklessly. Reward: Ninja Technique: Mist Blink.
Sasuke's mouth twitched when he heard the reminder. It was a skill that could greatly enhance his stealth. This wasn't a free reward—it came with a deep understanding of the dangers of overusing such techniques.
"Thanks for the tip, Zabuza," Sasuke said nonchalantly, though he couldn't help but smirk inwardly.
Zabuza's expression hardened as he turned back toward Kingsu, lifting the unconscious boy from the ground. "Kakashi, this mission ends here. If we meet again, I won't show mercy."
With that, Zabuza left, carrying Kingsu, while Kakashi watched them leave without a word.
"Of course," Kakashi muttered, smiling to himself. "Next time, Sasuke might be strong enough to take Zabuza on alone. Not yet, but soon."
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