Yoruha and Kakashi's conversation had been going on for some time, and Sakura had been quietly listening by the side.
Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a pale glow across the room. Even though it was night, the light made the space feel bright and calm.
As she watched Yoruha and Kakashi talk so casually, Sakura couldn't help but recall the battle earlier that day—Yoruha's fierce clash with Raiga Kurosuki, and how he had singlehandedly suppressed Naruto's rampage.
She still couldn't believe it. That same Yoruha who had seemed godlike on the battlefield was now sitting there, calm and ordinary, as though nothing had happened.
When she had seen the enormous water dragon, hundreds of meters long, soar across the sky, Yoruha had seemed larger than life—small in stature, yet towering in presence as he stood upon the ocean's surface.
But once the battle ended, he had returned to being the quiet, unassuming person she knew.
Sakura found it hard to believe that both sides could exist in one person.
The difference between them—the gap between her and Yoruha—was simply too vast.
Naruto possessed immense power because of the tailed beast sealed within him, yet even that strength paled in comparison to Yoruha's.
Sasuke was also strong. Among their team, she was the weakest one.
"Maybe Yoruha was right," Sakura thought to herself. "I should learn medical ninjutsu. I'm not good at fighting, but I can become a medical ninja instead."
At that moment, her determination to follow that path became firm and unwavering.
---
Meanwhile, deep within the forests of the Land of Waves, Zabuza and Haku were making their way back from the Great Bridge.
Both were relieved to have escaped alive.
Thinking back to Yoruha's devastating technique, Zabuza couldn't help but mutter, "What kind of monster is that kid? To unleash such a terrifying Water Dragon Bullet… it's far beyond what he showed when he first fought me. It's only been, what, a little over ten days? How could his power have grown that fast?"
Zabuza couldn't comprehend how Yoruha's strength had advanced so rapidly. After all, Yoruha was still just a Genin.
"If we hadn't retreated in time," Zabuza said with lingering fear, "we'd have been dead for sure."
When he first fought Yoruha, he'd thought the boy's strength was merely on par with a regular Jōnin. But today, Yoruha had displayed power far beyond his own.
In fact, Zabuza felt as though he had been facing a Mizukage.
Especially that Water Dragon Bullet—its scale and might surpassed even the techniques of the Mizukage.
No Mizukage could summon a water dragon over three hundred meters long.
Even more terrifying, Yoruha's Water Dragon didn't dissipate after being released—it moved and twisted like a living creature.
That was what frightened Zabuza the most.
He could still picture it clearly: the moment Yoruha had unleashed that dragon, the ocean roared, waves towering like mountains as the sky itself seemed to collapse.
He couldn't imagine surviving such an attack.
For the first time, Zabuza truly felt fear—fear toward another person.
That boy could kill him easily.
And that boy was only a Genin. Terrifying.
"Konoha is really something else," Zabuza growled. "Not only do they have that blond kid—the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails—but they've also got another brat who can suppress a rampaging Jinchūriki with a single jutsu. And that same brat killed Raiga Kurosuki. That's terrifying."
"With him around, how are we supposed to kill that old man building the bridge? There's no way we can complete this mission."
Zabuza didn't want to admit it, but he knew the truth—this mission was impossible.
As long as Yoruha was there, attempting to finish it would be suicide.
Beside him, Haku stayed silent.
He was still shaken by Yoruha's overwhelming power—but what puzzled him more was why Yoruha had stepped in to protect him from Naruto's rampage.
By all logic, he was Yoruha's enemy. Even if Naruto had lost control, Yoruha had no reason to shield him.
But Yoruha did.
Haku didn't mention this to Zabuza. He couldn't understand it, so he chose not to dwell on it.
Still, he made a note of it deep in his heart. Whatever Yoruha's reason, he had saved his life.
If Yoruha hadn't blocked Naruto's attack, he would have died.
At that time, his body had been paralyzed by the Nine-Tails' chakra—he couldn't move at all.
And with Naruto's speed and ferocity, escape was impossible.
After a long silence, Zabuza turned to him. "That brat didn't attack you?"
The realization hit him—Haku had faced Naruto directly. How had he managed to return unharmed?
Haku thought for a moment before replying, "After that blond boy lost control, he arrived. I took the chance to withdraw while they were fighting."
Zabuza didn't press further. That was exactly how he'd managed to escape too.
Yoruha's strength was simply too terrifying.
No matter how much money Gato offered, the mission wasn't worth their lives.
Zabuza was a rogue ninja—he had no intention of dying for a corrupt merchant.
"We're done here," he said coldly. "Forget this mission. We're leaving."
Haku nodded. Wherever Zabuza went, he would follow.
Still, he couldn't forget Yoruha—the first person who had ever willingly risked himself to protect him.
When Zabuza had saved him years ago, it was because he needed a tool.
But Yoruha had saved him for no reason at all—simply because he didn't want needless killing.
That feeling left a deep impression on Haku's heart.
If it weren't for his loyalty to Zabuza, Haku might have followed Yoruha instead—just as Kimimaro had once followed Orochimaru.
Of course, that was impossible.
Yoruha had only stopped Naruto because he knew Haku's nature—he didn't want Naruto killing an innocent person in blind rage.
Just as the two of them began packing their belongings, the door burst open with a loud crash.
"Zabuza! You failed again?!"
"The bridge will be finished in just a few days, and you still haven't killed that old man! What the hell have you been doing?!"
It was Gatō, this time accompanied by several dozen samurai.
He had been terrified of Zabuza before, but now thought he could control the situation with numbers.
Unfortunately, he didn't understand the difference between samurai and shinobi.
These were nothing but wandering swordsmen—mercenaries with barely any skill.
Thinking himself clever, Gatō believed that with dozens of them, he could intimidate Zabuza.
But the moment Zabuza's cold gaze swept over them, the so-called samurai began trembling violently.
Within seconds, they fled in panic—leaving only two standing.
Those two, hired as Gatō's personal bodyguards, had enough discipline to remain—but even they were shaking so badly that their knees nearly buckled.
Zabuza's patience had already run out, and Gatō had walked straight into his path.
Gripping his massive executioner's blade, Zabuza strode toward him, exuding killing intent so intense it was suffocating.
That murderous aura meant nothing to people like Yoruha or Kakashi—but for a normal man like Gatō, it was overwhelming.
After only a few steps, Gatō collapsed to his knees, shaking uncontrollably, his eyes wide with terror.
Only now did he truly understand the power of a Jōnin.
"This mission," Zabuza said coldly, standing over him, "is over. Find someone else. But here's a bit of advice—don't go against Kakashi and his team again. With your resources, you'll never be able to hire anyone capable of defeating them. Even if you could gather a few elite Jōnin, they still wouldn't stand a chance."
Zabuza's voice was low and icy as he glared down at the trembling merchant.
"You're out of your depth, Gatō."