Seeing Minato Namikaze suddenly appear again, this time with Kakashi Hatake by his side, Haku's expression darkened.
"Do you two think Zabuza-san's place is Konoha?" You come and go as you please?
Zabuza spread his legs and arms arrogantly, sprawling on the sofa. His arm hung over the backrest, and beside him stood his two-meter-long Kubikiribōchō, resting easily within reach.
"Haku, step aside." He waved dismissively, signaling Haku to move away.
Turning to Kakashi Hatake, Zabuza scoffed, "What is this? First, you had someone impersonate that bastard Yagura Karatachi, and now you've brought the Fourth Hokage? Have you gotten addicted to playing copycat?"
Kakashi stayed silent. Minato gently waved the Flying Thunder God kunai in his hand.
"As far as I know, the only people who can use the Flying Thunder God Technique... aside from its creator, the Second Hokage-sama, are me. Kakashi, finding someone skilled enough to impersonate me using this technique would be quite a challenge," Minato explained.
Zabuza narrowed his eyes, studying Minato with a calculating look.
This technique, one that appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye, was unlike anything he had seen before.
But he certainly knew the legends of the Yellow Flash—the terror of the Third Shinobi World War. Only such a technique could strike without a trace, leaving no evidence behind.
But...
"I don't think I need to remind you that the Fourth Hokage has been dead for over a decade," Zabuza sneered. "What, are you trying to pull off a resurrection?"
"I never learned the Edo Tensei technique developed by the Second Hokage," Minato replied calmly. "We're here to exchange intelligence. Whether I'm the real Minato Namikaze or not isn't important right now."
Zabuza fell silent for a moment.
Although the young man before him seemed gentle, unpretentious, and lacking any intimidating aura, Zabuza—having killed so many—was adept at judging people.
He had ordered Haku to step aside because, in terms of both raw power and combat experience, he knew Haku was no match for Minato.
"Alright," Zabuza said, after a pause. "Tell me what intelligence you want, and what you have to offer in return."
Minato didn't hesitate: "I want to know what kind of person Yagura Karatachi is, as you know him."
"You want my personal opinion of Yagura Karatachi?" Zabuza raised an eyebrow. "Not his abilities, strength, sphere of influence, or activities—just my personal opinion on him? What exactly are you after?"
"You don't need to know that," Minato replied smoothly. "But I can guarantee that it won't interfere with your interests or put your safety at risk."
Zabuza fell silent again. "Fine. Then tell me what intelligence you can offer in return."
Minato spoke without delay. "Regarding Gatō. After arriving here, I used Shadow Clones to gather intelligence and, along the way, picked up some information about you and Gatō."
Zabuza's expression darkened.
Haku, who had never trusted Gatō, pressed on, "What kind of intelligence?"
"For example..." Minato began, his voice dragging out slightly.
Both Zabuza and Haku listened closely as Minato continued, "Compared to high-paying, hot-tempered, hard-to-control rogue ninjas, Gatō prefers to hire cheaper manpower and rely on human wave tactics. His plan is to wait until you and Kakashi are worn out from your fight, and then swoop in to take advantage of the situation."
"Why should we trust you?" Haku demanded.
Minato answered without hesitation, "Even if no one hired Kakashi's team, Gatō still wouldn't hesitate to exploit the situation. He never planned on genuinely protecting you."
Minato's expression grew serious as he issued a warning: "Leave this place immediately. If you want to avoid further entanglement with the Kirigakure pursuers, it's best to fake your deaths."
Zabuza's voice darkened. "What do you mean?"
"Gatō has already posted your intelligence on the black market. If the timing is right, the Kirigakure pursuers will arrive within a week at the earliest, or just a few days later at the latest."
To show his sincerity, Minato immediately shared all the intelligence he had gathered.
"Zabuza-san!" Haku called out to him.
Zabuza gritted his teeth, muttering under his breath, "Yagura Karatachi... truly a persistent ghost!"
"You want information on Yagura Karatachi because you plan to get involved with Kirigakure?" Zabuza snorted. "While I personally despise Yagura Karatachi, I'm not about to sell out the entire Kirigakure."
Minato spoke up, "So, we only want to know—what kind of person is Yagura Karatachi in your eyes?"
"What exactly are you after?" Zabuza relaxed a bit. As long as these two men gave him a reasonable explanation...
Minato and Kakashi exchanged a glance.
"If we had to put it... it's like playing a role-playing game?"
"Though it could also be considered a grand project to save the world!"
Zabuza: ...
You two are seriously messing with me.