Naruto: Naruto's Uchiha girlfriend is too arrogant

Chapter 157 Rich, ruthless, but stupid

"Hmph... Kakashi, it seems you're wrong. What do you mean my ambition is about to end here...? It's still a long way off!"

Although Zabuza declared his victory by speaking in a low voice, his still slightly trembling pupils betrayed the intense shock and... wavering within him.

He forcefully took the blow of the Lightning Blade with his chest, clearly feeling his life rapidly slipping away. Before his consciousness completely faded, he did what he thought he could do for Zabuza one last time—with his last ounce of strength, he grabbed Kakashi's arm, which was still piercing his chest while releasing the Lightning Blade, trying to restrain it.

Looking at Haku's pale yet unusually calm face, and his eyes that were gradually losing focus, Kakashi understood that this boy was... beyond saving.

This familiar scene instantly evoked the most painful fragments of his memory... A sharp, agonizing pain gripped his heart.

Zabuza, who had just escaped, raised his cold, long sword once more, letting out a deliberately cruel laugh. "Hahahaha! I really picked up a useful tool! Even at the very end… he created such a perfect opportunity for me!"

Oh no! Does he intend to... cut down the child as well?! Kakashi was horrified as he watched the long sword slashing down mercilessly!

But Bai's fingers, gripping his arm tightly, became his greatest constraint at that moment! There was no escaping it!

With Zabuza's speed and power, Kakashi, whose arm was restrained and whose mind was being impacted, had absolutely no chance of avoiding this precise and ruthless attack!

however--

Just as the long sword was about to strike, Kakashi gritted his teeth and, instead of trying to break free from Haku's grasp, used the force of Haku's grip to perform a barely perceptible sideways roll and jump, carrying Haku's already powerless body!

The blade slashed heavily across the bridge, sending sparks flying!

"..."

After narrowly avoiding the attack, Kakashi knelt down on one knee and gently put Haku down. He fully understood the situation and saw through Zabuza's true heart beneath his cold mask.

Just then.

"Naruto! Satsuki!"

Sakura, who had been anxiously protecting Tazuna from the rear, saw two people approaching—Satsuki was carefully supporting a somewhat tired Naruto as they hurried toward the battlefield.

Kakashi carefully placed Shiro on the bridge. The wound on the boy's chest was shocking, and his life force was as weak as a candle flickering in the wind.

Immediately afterwards, Kakashi and Zabuza engaged in another taijutsu duel.

However, just before Bai's consciousness was about to completely sink into darkness, an anomaly occurred.

Dozens of Haku's long, jet-black hairs silently fell off on their own, trembling and transforming slightly in the air as if they possessed a life of their own, eventually turning into dozens of butterflies. This was the secret contingency plan that Naruto had quietly left on Haku, and it was finally beginning to take effect.

These butterflies, made of life energy, flew lightly toward Bai Na's hollow heart, which had been pierced by Raikiri, and then quietly merged into his flesh and blood.

The next moment, a gentle life energy began to slowly flow into Bai Na's body, which was about to die completely, forcibly stabilizing his last glimmer of life.

Bai could hold on a little longer; enveloped in warmth, her consciousness temporarily lingered on the boundary between life and death.

On the other side, Zabuza roared and slashed fiercely at Kakashi, but his move was full of flaws and had long lost its previous sharpness.

Kakashi easily dodged the chaotic attack with a simple sidestep, and then delivered a heavy straight punch to Zabuza's abdomen!

"Ouch!" Zabuza cried out in pain, staggering back a few steps. Undeterred, he roared and charged forward again, wildly slashing and hacking with his long sword.

But his movements had lost all fighting skills and were nothing more than instinctive, chaotic venting.

Kakashi appeared behind Zabuza even before he swung his sword, his kunai piercing Zabuza's shoulder joint!

"Pfft!"

Zabuza's arm went limp and fell to his side, unable to be lifted again. He gasped for breath, his voice hoarse and filled with confusion as he roared, "Why...why can't I keep up with you?!"

"You've already lost, Zabuza." Kakashi's voice was calm to the point of cruelty. "Haven't you realized it yet?"

Kakashi clearly remembered that scene—facing that slash that seemed poised to tear him and Haku apart, he should have been absolutely unable to dodge it. However, Zabuza hesitated at the most crucial moment…

Kakashi clearly captured the slightest deviation in the blade's trajectory and the momentary pause.

Even Zabuza himself didn't realize that witnessing Haku's "death," the immense, unprecedented grief and emptiness, had eroded his fighting instincts, making him unable to think normally, let alone control his body.

At this moment, he was on the verge of a complete emotional breakdown, and all his attacks were just desperate and unwilling struggles.

Just as Kakashi's kunai was about to pierce Zabuza, who was unable to form hand seals and was almost powerless to resist, delivering the final blow.

A sudden burst of dense and chaotic footsteps rang out from the other end of the bridge, breaking the heavy atmosphere on the battlefield.

Kakashi and Zabuza both looked in the direction of the sound. They saw a short man wearing round sunglasses, leaning on a cane, and with a comical bandage wrapped around one hand, swaggering onto the bridge, surrounded by a large group of vicious-looking thugs wielding sticks and swords.

"Kado... what are you doing here?" Zabuza recognized the newcomer and asked in a hoarse and tired voice.

"Oh, oh, oh~ Isn't this our famous 'Demon' Zabuza Momochi?"

Cardona's voice rang out with a mocking tone, "What an ugly loss, really... disappointing."

"What do you mean by this?" Zabuza's gaze swept over the group of thugs behind Gato, who were clearly up to no good and were ready to attack. "And why did you bring so many people?"

"Hehehehe..."

Kado let out a chilling chuckle, tapping the bridge surface lightly with his cane. "Isn't my meaning clear enough, Mr. Zabuza? I've changed my mind—please, die here."

He made no attempt to hide his true purpose.

"You know, hiring you proper ninjas costs me a huge amount of money! That's why I turned to you cheap and useful rogue ninjas in the first place."

Kado, with the air of a shrewd businessman, said, "But now... you and the Konoha ninjas are already locked in a fierce battle, saving me a lot of trouble. If both of you die here, not only will I not have to pay the remaining huge commission, but I'll also save on the deposit I paid earlier! Isn't that a very profitable deal? Hahahaha!"

Supported by Zuo Yue, Naruto, who had just arrived at the battlefield, looked at Gato, the smug mastermind who thought he had everything under control, and then glanced at the group of grotesque and undisciplined thugs behind him...

How did this idiot become one of the world's richest people? Is there really nothing wrong with the world's economic system?

Naruto felt a deep sense of helplessness and resignation.

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(The author's task will be completed by tomorrow's fourth update.)