Ninja Recruitment System - Chapter 423

After making his decision, Kakashi quickly took out a scroll from his shinobi pouch and wiped his thumb, smeared with his own blood from his wound, across the scroll. With a stern expression, he spoke.

“Can you hear me, Zabuza? We both don’t have time for this. This might not be to your liking, but I don’t want to keep this up any longer. Let’s decide this with the next move. How about it?”

Zabuza didn’t show himself, but his voice echoed from the thick mist.

“Interesting. In this situation, what can you possibly do, Kakashi? Show me what you’ve got.”

Zabuza’s voice was filled with confidence, as if he didn’t take Kakashi seriously at all. However, Kakashi didn’t pay any attention to his taunts. Instead, he began making hand signs rapidly while holding the scroll.

Kakashi’s hand speed was incredibly fast. He quickly completed the hand signs and immediately pressed the scroll to the ground, shouting in a low voice.

“Ninja Art: Summoning – Earth Release: Tracking Fang Technique!”

As Kakashi’s voice fell, the runes on the scroll started to flow out like a torrent, quickly spreading across the ground before coming to a halt.

Zabuza’s voice echoed from the mist once more.

“Save your strength. You can’t pinpoint my location, but I can see you clearly. Kakashi, you’re completely trapped by my jutsu… Hm?”

Before Zabuza could finish his sentence, he felt the ground beneath him tremble. Before he could react, a pack of fierce ninja hounds burst out from the ground around him, biting his arms, legs, and shoulders, rendering him immobile.

Kakashi’s Eight Ninja Hounds!

Kakashi had summoned his eight ninja hounds with the scroll to deal with Zabuza!

After releasing the hounds, Kakashi removed his hand from the scroll and slowly stood up.

“This is a tracking technique. Earlier, I intentionally let myself bleed to coat your weapon with my scent. These are my adorable ninja hounds, and their noses are sharper than any other dogs’. So, the one trapped in the jutsu is you, Zabuza.”

With Zabuza now restrained by the hounds, he gritted his teeth and remained silent despite hearing Kakashi’s words.

At this moment, Kakashi spoke again.

“The mist should clear soon, and your future only holds death. Don’t be stubborn. There’s nothing you can do now. You’re finished.”

Kakashi’s tone wasn’t threatening; it was a calm statement of fact.

“Zabuza, you played too recklessly. Your ambition led to the attempted assassination of the Mizukage and a failed coup. You had to flee with a few subordinates, becoming a rogue ninja. Your name quickly reached the Hidden Leaf Village. But I never expected you to ally with a scum like Gato to fund your revenge and avoid the hunter-nin squads. How despicable!”

As Kakashi spoke, the mist began to clear, revealing Zabuza about ten meters away. Kakashi’s eyes flashed with a hint of killing intent.

“Zabuza, do you think I’ve survived solely because of the Sharingan? This time, I’m not copying anyone. I’ll show you my own jutsu!”

While speaking, Kakashi began forming hand signs again. When he finished, his chakra transformed into crackling lightning, which he quickly concentrated into his right hand.

“Chidori!”

Seeing this, Zabuza, restrained by the hounds, widened his eyes in shock.

“What? I can clearly see the chakra concentrated in his hand!”

As Kakashi controlled the lightning in his hand, he spoke again.

“Zabuza, you’re too dangerous. Your ambition has sacrificed too many lives. This isn’t what a ninja should do. I’ll say it once more: give up!”

“Hmph!” Hearing Kakashi’s words, a sneer flashed across Zabuza’s face. “What does it matter how many lives are lost? I’m fighting for my ideals, and I won’t change!”

Seeing Zabuza’s resolute expression, Kakashi stopped talking. He stomped his right foot on the ground and charged at Zabuza with his hand crackling with lightning.

He was ready to kill!

As a former member of the ANBU, Kakashi never hesitated when it came to killing. The activation of his lightning-style chakra had enhanced his speed significantly, making the ten-meter distance vanish in an instant.

As the lightning-charged hand neared him, Zabuza’s eyes widened, filled with fear and regret.

“Is this the end?”

Kakashi’s Chidori, known as the Lightning Cutter, was said to be able to cut through anything. Although exaggerated, it demonstrated the jutsu’s power.

Seeing Kakashi’s lightning-covered hand aimed at him, Zabuza had given up hope. However, to his surprise, someone suddenly appeared in front of him — it was Haku!

Haku, who had been defeated by Naruto in his enraged state, now stood in front of Zabuza, using his own body to block Kakashi’s Chidori.

“Zzzzt!”

Chidori was not something that could be easily blocked. Kakashi’s lightning-infused hand pierced through Haku’s body effortlessly.

Blood splattered everywhere. Both Kakashi and Zabuza were stunned, eyes wide with disbelief.

Haku’s appearance had caught both of them off guard. In their shocked gazes, Haku’s eyes quickly lost their light.

Haku had died, but even in death, he used his hands to firmly grasp Kakashi’s right hand, seemingly using his life to hold Kakashi in place and give Zabuza a chance to escape.

Unfortunately, Zabuza didn’t cherish the opportunity Haku had bought with his life. Instead, he tried to attack Kakashi again, only to have his arms crippled by Kakashi.

At that moment, Gato, who had been hiding in the shadows, appeared with a large group of his men. Not only did he refuse to pay Zabuza, but he also insulted Haku’s corpse, which enraged Naruto.

Naruto wanted to rush up and teach Gato a lesson, but Kakashi held him back. So, Naruto vented his anger at Zabuza, revealing Haku’s feelings for him. His outburst not only made himself cry but also moved Zabuza to tears.

Haku was an orphan picked up by Zabuza. Seeing the value in Haku’s Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, Zabuza had kept him by his side, treating him as a tool and teaching him everything he knew.

Zabuza always taught Haku that a ninja was a tool without feelings. However, he didn’t realize that he had come to regard Haku as the most important person in his life.

Naruto’s passionate outburst tore away Zabuza’s cold facade, stirring his feelings for Haku and bringing him to tears.

In the end, Zabuza admitted Naruto was right: ninjas are also human and not emotionless tools. Despite having his arms disabled, he resolutely bit down on a kunai and charged at Gato, who had insulted Haku’s body.

Gato had come with a large group of his men. Despite breaking through their ranks and killing Gato, Zabuza was stabbed multiple times, most of them fatal, making it impossible to save him.

At that moment, light snow began to fall. In his dying moments, Zabuza asked Kakashi to take him to Haku’s side. With his hand on Haku’s face, he took his last breath.

Seeing this scene, everyone present couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness and emotion. At that moment, they heard a melodious singing and music from behind.

“In the moonlit night, the red lanterns light up, the music of the festival is a signal, tempting the night butterflies to dance out… If you want to seek pleasure, welcome to the Pure Land of Elysium…”

Hearing the music and singing, Kakashi quickly turned around and saw a dozen people carrying a large flower cart approaching. On the flower cart, three elaborately dressed girls were singing and dancing, and the music was coming from the cart.

Behind the flower cart was a large palanquin carried by eight people, but that wasn’t what shocked Kakashi. What shocked him was the person guarding the palanquin!

Seeing the white-haired man in sky-blue shinobi armor, Kakashi’s eyes widened.

“That… that’s my father?”

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