Fuguki Suikazan had openly declared that the decisive battle against the rebel forces would take place on the outskirts of Kirigakure. There was no finesse in his plan, no subtlety-only raw force and unshakable confidence. Yet it was precisely that bluntness that made it terrifyingly effective.
Before long, word ca from Momochi Zabuza's side: the battle had been agreed upon. Three days later, Fuguki's satisfaction was palpable. He had once commanded the ANBU. He had been the strongest, the leader of the Seven Ninja Swordsn of the Mist. Among all the Mizukage candidates, his forces were the most powerful. He alone was truly capable of confronting the rebels head-on. Sches were unnecessary. Strength alone proved his dominance.
While i Terumi and Fuguki Suikazan moved openly, mobilizing their forces and displaying their banners across the land, Chiba remained silent. His calm, unreadable composure unnerved Mangetsu and the Hōzuki Clan. Yet Chiba himself remained entirely unfazed, his mind already calculating every angle.
One week later, the day of the decisive battle arrived. Fuguki Suikazan faced Zabuza Momochi with the full might of his mobilized forces. anwhile, elsewhere, i Terumi achieved a critical breakthrough. She had captured two of Zabuza's closest allies-the Demon Brothers, Gōzu and izu. Using them as leverage, she sent a ssage demanding that Zabuza appear personally.
Her strategy worked. By forcing Zabuza to separate from his main rebel force, she had effectively split his army in two. Though unspoken, the two sides were already cooperating, whether they realized it or not. i, Ao, and Bi escorted the restrained Demon Brothers to the designated eting point and waited.
Soon, Zabuza arrived-alone, carrying only his blade. A single man walking directly into a trap. i's brows knit together. "This Zabuza…" she muttered, "he has guts. And… loyalty."
The Demon Brothers shouted desperately for help. The mist thickened, shrouding the battlefield in tension. Sowhere beyond the visible fray, the true hunter remained, silently observing.
Zabuza let out a low, contemptuous snort. "So this is how the Hidden Mist deals with now?"
i's lips curved into a calm, knowing smile. "For the Demon of the Hidden Mist to complain about dirty tactics… that's rather fitting, isn't it?"
"Hmph," Zabuza replied coldly, his voice stripped of emotion. "I've never cared about the ans, as long as the end is worth it. If anything, I'd say you've improved. The Hidden Mist has finally learned to think."
After a pause, he continued, "Release the two of them. I'll take their place. Make your hostage."
i felt the words strike the air like a blade. "That was your plan from the start, wasn't it? Use as leverage, force the remaining rebels to surrender."
Zabuza chuckled quietly. "Sharp. No wonder you united so many rogue shinobi. Congratulations. You've succeeded. I accept."
But sothing felt off. i sensed it imdiately. Zabuza was never a man to concede so easily. Patient, ruthless, a strategist who buried traps beneath traps-he did not offer himself up without calculation.
"Ao, activate the Byakugan," i ordered.
"Understood."
Ao released a surge of chakra. The veins around his eye bulged as his vision pierced flesh, chakra, and deception alike.
"Hmm…"
"That is Zabuza," Ao said slowly, "but his chakra reserves are far lower than they should be. …You're a Shadow Clone?!"
Shadow Clones were notoriously difficult to detect, but Ao had crossed blades with Zabuza before. He knew the man's chakra pattern too well.
i's eyes darkened.
Zabuza threw his head back and laughed loudly. "So you still saw through it in the end. i Terumi, you've got yourself a sharp-eyed ally."
In the next instant, the clone swung the Executioner's Blade with brutal force, the massive weapon cutting through the air toward i.
She reacted instantly, her hands forming seals. "Lava Release: lting Apparition Technique!" A torrent of corrosive acid surged forward like a tidal wave, consuming everything in its path. The clone was engulfed completely, dispersing monts later into a cloud of white smoke.
But i felt no relief. "Damn it. The real Zabuza is still on the battlefield. He's already clashing with Kisa Hoshigaki's forces."
"Ao, Chōjūrō. Move-now."
"Right!"
The three vanished in a blur, racing toward the battlefield. Whoever arrived last would lose the credit for ending the rebellion. The Demon Brothers, still restrained, were dragged along behind them.
At the outer periter of the Hidden Mist Village, on a narrow peninsula, Zabuza's rebel army faced the elite forces led by Kisa Hoshigaki. Kisa rested Sahada against his shoulder, grinning sharply.
"I didn't think you'd dare face head-on," he said. "Zabuza Momochi… you've got backbone."
Zabuza's killing intent spread like freezing mist. "Kisa Hoshigaki. This battlefield will be your grave."
Kisa's grin widened, feral and savage. "Then let's see who's stronger. Attack!"
Instantly, the battlefield erupted into chaos. Steel clashed, chakra flared, and the war between the Hidden Mist and the rebels ignited fully. At its center, Kisa and Zabuza collided head-on. Wielding Sahada, Kisa radiated overwhelming pressure, crushing morale by re presence. Zabuza, by contrast, was at a clear disadvantage. His condition was weaker, and he fought without the Executioner's Blade.
Within monts, Kisa's sweeping arc of Sahada struck cleanly. Zabuza was thrown violently, heavily wounded. Kisa straightened, a victorious grin spreading across his face.
Then-Bang! Zabuza's body dissolved into a cloud of white smoke.
"What?!" Kisa's pupils shrank. "Th-That's… a Shadow Clone?!"
At that mont, i Terumi and Ao arrived, witnessing the scene firsthand.
"What?!" i exclaid. "Even the Zabuza fighting here was a clone? Then… where is the real one?"
Ao's voice dropped, realization dawning. "Don't tell …"
A terrifying possibility ford simultaneously in everyone's mind.
From the mist, a lone figure erged. In his grasp was Zabuza's true body, restrained completely, chakra sealed and movents suppressed. The sudden appearance silenced the battlefield. Kisa froze. i's breath caught. Ao, Chōjūrō, and every shinobi present stared in disbelief.
The man advanced calmly, dominating the atmosphere effortlessly. A faint, satisfied smile appeared on his face. That man was Chiba.
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