"What?! What is that thing? How come another huge one showed up?!"
"Damn it, I shouldn't have accepted Gato's mission and come to this cursed island!"
"Yeah, we haven't earned any money, and we're about to lose our lives."
"Wait, that looks like the Giant of Light that appeared in Konoha a while ago."
"Giant of Light… I think I've heard of it. They say it's the embodiment of justice, protecting good villagers."
"Embodiment of justice? Great, we're saved!"
The rogue ninjas, trapped in dire straits, saw a glimmer of hope and immediately cheered up.
Seeing the Giant of Light descend from the sky, they didn't retreat, but instead excitedly rushed towards it.
As long as they stayed close to it, they wouldn't have to fear the hellhound in front of them.
Little did they know, the Giant of Light paid them no mind.
Like a mountain, it descended.
BOOM!
Squish!
A massive shockwave erupted, and dozens of figures could vaguely be seen being sent flying.
"Pfft!!! Who just said this was the embodiment of justice?!" A rogue ninja cursed, spitting blood.
"Uh, could it be because we're not exactly… good villagers?"
Poof…
An unknown voice, seemingly coming from nowhere, made the ninja die on the spot from sheer anger.
The Giant of Light ignored the ants on the ground.
After landing, it threw a right hook at the zombified hellhound, which Akamaru had transformed into, knocking it to the ground.
Compared to the other rogue ninjas who were desperately trying to escape, Zabuza had a clear goal: kill this monster.
So many people had vanished, supposedly eaten by this monster.
He had to cut it open and see if it was true. He absolutely couldn't let it get away.
Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!
After performing the complex thirty-six hand seals, a gigantic water dragon rose from the ground and, along with the Giant of Light, charged towards the zombified hellhound.
"The Giant of Light… Why is the Giant of Light here?
"Isn't that unique to our Konoha?" Kiba scratched his head in confusion, turning to ask.
"Who said the Giant of Light is unique to Konoha? Remember, the first time it appeared, it also fell from the sky, coming from somewhere else.
"It's obvious now. This Giant of Light appears wherever there's a huge crisis," Kurenai retorted, rolling her eyes.
"Great! I don't know what that thing is, but this Giant of Light you're talking about is blocking the monster's path to the village!
"It must be protecting the villagers of the Land of Waves!" Tazuna said happily.
"Uh, you old fool! That's not a monster, that's my Akamaru!
"But it's great that the Giant of Light showed up. This way, Akamaru won't cause too much destruction." Kiba let out a sigh of relief, then suddenly widened his eyes.
"Wait, will my Akamaru be killed by it?!
"Teacher Kurenai, which… which side should I be cheering for?"
"Idiot, of course you cheer for both sides! It would be best if they didn't hurt each other!" Natsuki couldn't help but smack Kiba on the head before walking forward.
"Oh, right, right, cheer for both. But… no, I have to keep an eye on Akamaru and make sure they're both okay!" Kiba rubbed his forehead and hurried after Kurenai.
Water Style: Water Shark Bullet Jutsu!
"Die!"
Zabuza went all out, fighting with his life on the line. Even Kakuzu, hidden nearby, couldn't help but nod.
As expected of one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist… but he's just a tad bit foolish.
Then, his gaze fell upon the Giant of Light. He then recalled the Konoha Genin who possessed an ability similar to their leader's.
When did so many powerful beings appear in the ninja world?
"No, I must return to the organization immediately and report this to Leader!"
After a moment of contemplation, Kakuzu left a clone behind to continue observing while his main body quickly departed.
The shark formed from water rapidly charged towards the hellhound, which was locked in a struggle with the Giant of Light.
The hellhound was once again pinned to the ground by the Giant of Light, its head held down.
This finally enraged the violent, zombified hellhound.
It abandoned its attempts to bite the incredibly durable Giant of Light and turned to charge at Zabuza.
Its body leaped, and a large wave of flames surged forward.
Water Style: Water Formation Wall!
A massive wall of water rose from the ground.
BOOM!
Unfortunately, it didn't even last a second before being shattered.
Zabuza was instantly sent flying, blood spraying through the air.
Like a cannonball fired from a muzzle, he flew towards a distant hill. Landing would undoubtedly mean being smashed to pieces.
"Lord Zabuza!"
A familiar cry pierced his ears.
Was he hallucinating? Wasn't Haku dead?
Well, death was a ninja's ultimate fate.
Dying together under the same monster was a decent end.
It was a pity he hadn't properly said those words to Haku before dying. Haku had always been waiting for his acknowledgment, hadn't he?
The fierce wind whistled in his ears, and the surrounding scenery flashed before his eyes like a whirlwind.
Zabuza slowly closed his eyes, waiting for the moment he would be crushed.
Suddenly, an invisible force lifted him upwards, making him feel dizzy.
Yet, he didn't crash into the deadly hill.
Finally, he gently landed in a warm embrace.
He opened his eyes in disbelief, and the familiar, angelically gentle smile met his gaze.
Yes, it was this smile that had pulled him out of his nightmares of mountains of corpses and seas of blood every day, allowing him to gradually regain his humanity.
"Haku!
"It's… so good to see you… even in hell."
The surprise of seeing Haku alive made Zabuza unable to process the situation. He thought he was dead after all.
"No, someone as gentle as you shouldn't be in hell.
"In the end… did I drag you down with me?
"I'm sorry, Haku. I never had the chance to apologize to you when you were alive.
"You're not my tool… You are… the person I cherish most!"
Uncontrollable tears dripped onto Zabuza's face.
Haku's eyes were also filled with tears, but their smile remained as warm as the rising sun.
"Lord Zabuza!
"You… really are a fool!" Haku chuckled softly.
In his memories, this was the first time Haku had ever scolded him. It felt like a spring breeze to Zabuza.
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