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Chapter 50 - Bleed and Bluff
🕑 Added 2025-05-27 16:16:24 +0000 UTCI blew out a slow breath, not in pain, but in growing irritation.
The first ice needle came out with a quiet snick. The tip was coated with a thin glisten of my blood. Nothing deep, I had reinforced my muscles with chakra. Flesh wounds embedded in the arm, one below the collarbone, and two in the flank. Just meat. Hurts like a bitch, but nothing vital.
Another snick.
Another needle clattered to the forest floor.
Sakura stood a few feet off, frozen, mouth parted in horror. She hadn’t moved an inch since the ice needles rained.
I glanced at her, the third needle between my fingers.
In this universe, she wasn’t even a medic. Just eyes too wide for the field, knuckles white around a kunai she didn’t know how to use.
Didn’t she have one year of experience with Kakashi since graduation? I restrained a click of a tongue. Should probably stop expecting anything from her at this point.
I yanked the last needle free and breathed out through my nose.
“You’re not here to watch me bleed,” I said. My tone wasn’t cruel, but neither was it forgiving. “Keep your eyes on the enemy.”
Index and middle finger curbed, wrist waved twice. Konoha sign for ‘Stay quiet‘.
That startled her. She twitched, finally lowering into a defensive stance, though her eyes clung to the wound at my side like she couldn’t look away.
I wouldn’t be wasting chakra to heal that one. Haku was barely a chunin level shinobi, but not quite sure about Zabuza, and I may need all my cards just in case.
I looked up.
Haku’d retreated past the inner ring of visibility, standing knee-deep in mist, one arm loose at his side, his hair slightly mussed from the scuffle.
And finally got to see his face.
Soft lines. High cheekbones. Lips too full for a guy, parted just slightly as he caught his breath. Those eyes… doe-like, dark, and clear, framed by long lashes.
His eyes locked onto mine, calm and still, and for a second, I forgot we were fighting. Just a second. I mean, sure, I like women. Big fan. But apparently my brain missed the memo because it was busy cataloging details I had no business noticing mid-battle. Perfect. Convenient. Definitely not gonna think about that later while pretending I’m not.
He wasn’t running. Which meant he still wanted to stall me.
I cracked my neck left, then right. Time to wrap this up.
I couldn’t afford the indulgence of a second round. And certainly not with that stupid part of me wondering what his hair would feel like in my fist and picturing those soft lips wrapped around…..
Zabuza was after the client. The merchant was likely halfway toward a slash across the throat. I had no real way of measuring Naruto and Sai’s odds against a former Mist executioner. Sai was an unknown variable—ambiguous enough to survive, maybe, but still green. Naruto, bless his erratic heart...
He’d just learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu. So he could pull some shounen last-minute power up, but I won’t put my money on them winning.
I needed to end this soon and without wasting chakra.
“These are quite beautiful.” I said, casually examining an ice needle between my fingers, “The crystalline structure is nearly perfect.“
“How odd,“ he said, tilting his head, a soft wisp of hair drifting across his eye. “You speak as though we're not in the middle of combat.“
“Are we?“ I let the needle drop; it did a poor job at keeping my gaze away from his face. “I was under the impression this was more of a... conversation.“
“E-Eishin-sensei...“ Sakura cut in, bit confused and inquiring.
Sensei? Well, that’s new. It was like saving her counted for something. But Naruto saved her countless times, it still didn’t prevent her from shiting on him, in the original timeline.
“It's alright, Sakura,” I said, without turning. What can I say, Haku was indeed prettier than her. “Catch your breath. Our friend here isn't interested in a fight.“
“You seem rather confident.“
“If you wanted us dead, we would be. Those needles of yours... “ I said, gesturing to the ice surrounding us, ” ...they missed the vital points deliberately. What an interesting choice for someone supposedly hired to eliminate us.”
That, of course, was a load of bullshit. But I need him to drop his guard to use Devil’s Whisper. I will talk my way out of this. I didn’t want to kill him, and turning my back on him was certainly unwise.
I smiled when I caught the subtle shift in his stance. “You're mistaken,“ he said.
“Am I? Tell me, did he order you to keep me occupied, or was that your own initiative?”
The ‘he‘ here referred to either the client paying them or Zabuza. Depending on who the listener was.
“You're attempting to unsettle me with unfounded accusations.“ His lips thinned. “It won’t work.“
Sharp. But then again, he was a shinobi. A missing-nin, of the Bloody Mist at that. Thought I was rather surprised by the straightforwardness.
“No accusation. Merely an observation. You've been moving in defensive patterns only, keeping me in this specific area.” I pointed lazily toward the east. “While the bridge—and my client—are in that direction.
“Your genin won't stand a chance against Zabuza-sama,“ he said, his expression softening, one manicured brow knitting in guilt or was it regret?
Ahh, finally a name. I heard Sakura mutter it. Did she hear it from somewhere?
“Is that concern I hear?” I smiled, ”How unexpectedly kind.“
“I have no interest in needless death.“
“No, you don't.“ I sighed, “And neither do I, but alas…..“
Those delicate eyebrows went up.
“I'm trying to save time, too. Zabuza's already at the bridge.” My voice became casual even as I activated the Whisper; he needed to believe this. “My team is there too. Well, part of it. The best part, actually. Your master is walking into something he wasn’t prepared for.“
“Zabuza-sama is not to be underestimated.“ His voice hardened. Good.
“Neither is Naruto,” I said, with some fake regret. “You haven't sensed it yet, have you? What's sealed inside him? Let's just say... Zabuza's sword won't help him much against that kind of chakra.”
Haku's posture changes subtly—the first sign of genuine worry. Jinchuriki were a mess not to be meddled with. But the hurdle for this lie to be believable was the reason I had to reveal such a secret state knowledge.
But then again, when a jinchuriki went mad, was not a subtle affair. Amazing how one lie begets another.
“It's actually fortunate you kept me here. Gave me time to conserve chakra as well as my life. Which can’t be said about your friend. By now, he's probably realized he's outmatched. Shame, really. I was looking forward to testing myself against the Demon of the Mist. Perhaps…. in the next life.“
Haku kept silent for a brief moment, then said. “You're lying.“
Yes. Yes, I am.
Now, the foolish thing to do here was to explain myself. Do what a liar would do.
“We just have to wait then.“ So instead, I shrugged. “No big deal.“
I strained my facial muscles not to smile, smirk, or even curl my lips. It was working. His gaze was occasionally flickering east, in the direction of the bridge.
That was when someone who made me into a porcupine decided it was not enough.
“Wait,” Sakura said, her hand on her chest, her big green eyes wide, “but how could Naruto—he couldn't—he's still learning the tree-walking technique!“
A moment of silence. Haku's attention shifted to Sakura, then back.
I sharply breathed through my nose. I’m gonna fucking spank your ass red after this!
“Training exercises are different from survival, Sakura.” I gave her a meaningful look. “You of all people should understand that now. Sometimes, when pushed to the edge...” Turns my gaze to Haku, “People reveal what they're truly capable of. Naruto's potential has always been... explosive.”
I get she was worried, but I thought she was smart, smarter than this.
“The question is,” I continued, infusing Devil’s Whisper in my words, with sharper meaning. I need his mind away from the pinket stupid slip-up. “What will happen to Zabuza when he realizes he's cornered? Will he fight to the death? Or...“ A pause, my gaze going up and down Haku’s slender frame.“Will he abandon his tool when it becomes inconvenient?“
It worked.
“Zabuza-sama wouldn't—“
“Wouldn't what? Sacrifice you?” I laughed softly, the knowledge of the anime coming in handy, hitting the psychological weak point. “That's the difference between us, you know. My teammates aren't tools. They're precious people I'd die to protect. Even the ones who are still growing. Can Zabuza say the same about you?“
His hands were balled and shaking.
“You don't have to answer that. Just ask yourself... if he's truly losing right now, will he call for you? Or will he leave you behind?“
Haku knows Zabuza, even if he tried to delude himself. Deep down, he knew what type of man the Demon of the Mist was.
Ironically, the lies Haku told himself were the truth. But when they were revealed, it was too late. But that's neither here nor there.
“You….” he trailed off. “You're wrong. Zabuza-sama needs me.“
“For how long?“
For how long can you even be there when he needs you most? That was left unsaid.
We stared at each other for a long while and hoped against hope, the pinket would keep her mouth shut. Fortunately, she did, and after a while, hesitation flickered in his eyes, turning and sprinting toward the bridge without another word.
That level of worry and care…. Damn, Zabuza lucked out with him, I’m getting so jealous.
I stood in the mist’s wake, letting the silence settle. No whistling needles. No retreating chakra signature. Just the sound of Sakura breathing too loudly behind me.
Eventually…..
“Naruto and Sai can't possibly handle both of them alone!” Sakura cut the silence, she truly didn’t know when to shut up. “Why did you let him go?“
No more ‘sensei‘, huh?
I turned.
She flinched when she saw my gaze, but didn’t back away. Credit for that, at least. I closed the gap and seized her by the jaw, fingers tight, not tender. Her lips parted around a gasp she didn’t let out.
“You almost cost me the whole damn play,” I said, voice low and controlled. “What part of ‘stay quiet’ was too advanced for your Academy brain?”
She scowled. “I didn’t know what you were doing! You were just talking to him—how was I supposed to—?”
“You weren’t supposed to do anything,” I snapped. “That was the point.”
Her big green eyes narrowed, defiant. Still shaking a little, but trying to stand her ground. Cute. Useless, but cute.
“You don’t get to improvise,” I said, letting my voice coil around her like a leash. “You’re a genin. Barely. I say sit, you sit. I say stay quiet, and that filthy little tongue waits for permission.”
Her breath hitched. Indignation flared for a moment. She wasn’t scared of me…. But she understood the promise behind my tone. And the way my grip didn’t ease.
“I’m not gonna argue with you out here in the fog,” I murmured. “But after this, we’re going to revisit this little outburst of yours.”
She stiffened. Her pride wanted to talk back. Her instinct didn’t. I saw the war behind her eyes. Watched her lose it.
“I didn’t mean to—”
“Don’t care,” I said, calm now, soft. “You’ll learn.”
Damn, I hoped she’d take the bait. Fight back. That little show of resistance made it worth it. There’s nothing better than pride, until it breaks. Until it folds into obedience with just a little pressure in the right place.
And she had so much of it. Useless, yes. Loud, misplaced, juvenile. But still—it made her taste better.
I leaned in, crowding her. Let her feel the difference in size, in weight, in experience. Her jaw tensed beneath my grip. My thumb dragged under her ear, slowly. Felt her skin twitch. If she hated this, she wasn’t pulling away.
It was a routine at this point, letting me manhandle her as I please.
“Understood?” I murmured.
She didn’t answer. Stubborn little thing. I waited. Let her hang there on the hook of my voice.
“Understood.”
This time, she blinked. Swallowed. Probably remember the feel of the slaps on her cheeks. Gave me the smallest nod, tight and reluctant. It almost satisfied. Almost. But not quite.
I should not play with her now, but Naruto can’t wait a minute or two.
I let the silence stretch, let her think it was over. Then I leaned in again, closer this time, until my words skimmed her cheek.
“Say it.”
We had been through this dance.
She hesitated. Her breath was coming faster now. Then, teeth gritted, face burning—
“…I understand.”
My hand didn’t move. Neither did I.
“Say it right.“
She blinked in confusion at first, but Sakura was a smart girl.
Her lips trembled. Docilely lowering her eyes. Then, just barely above a whisper.
“I understand… sensei.”
Oh. There it was. That semantic leash, invoking a social role, engineered to elicit compliance.
Her pride folded twice over to humiliatingly name the man she ought to hate, the man she caught railing her mom, using a term conditioned into her from childhood to signify trust, obedience, and respect.
I wondered…. if Naruto and Sai could hold for a couple more minutes for me to have some fine time with this meek little thing.
I let go of her jaw and stepped back.
“Good girl.”
She visibly shuddered at that. Did it irk her? Or was it the opposite?
I didn’t give it much thought, nor did I give her time to recover.
Before she could even process the aftermath, I bent slightly and scooped her up into a clean, practiced motion.
Princess carries. Arms under her knees and back.
She made a startled sound in her throat, but didn’t fight it. Too soon after losing that little war. Her body tensed against mine, rigid as a plank, but I felt the hesitation, not resistance.
“Too much time wasted.“ I said.
“I can run—” she started, small voice, a ghost of indignation.
I looked down at her. Just a look.
Whatever scrap of defiance had been forming died right there on her tongue.
She was coming along nicely. Trained by the system to respect authority, taught to follow orders. There was still fire in her, still too much spit and snarl in that mouth.
She responded to pressure, to control. Bent, when pushed right. But that mouth. That mouth needed work. Too used to being loud. Too used to getting away with it.
But the spine was softening.
