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 came 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 Swordsmen 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. Schemes were unnecessary. Strength alone proved his dominance.
While Mei 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. Meanwhile, elsewhere, Mei Terumi achieved a critical breakthrough. She had captured two of Zabuza's closest allies-the Demon Brothers, Gōzu and Meizu. Using them as leverage, she sent a message 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. Mei, Ao, and Bi escorted the restrained Demon Brothers to the designated meeting point and waited.
Soon, Zabuza arrived-alone, carrying only his blade. A single man walking directly into a trap. Mei'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. Somewhere 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 me now?"
Mei'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 means, 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 me your hostage."
Mei felt the words strike the air like a blade. "That was your plan from the start, wasn't it? Use me 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 something felt off. Mei sensed it immediately. 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," Mei 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.
Mei's eyes darkened.
Zabuza threw his head back and laughed loudly. "So you still saw through it in the end. Mei 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 Mei.
She reacted instantly, her hands forming seals. "Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique!" A torrent of corrosive acid surged forward like a tidal wave, consuming everything in its path. The clone was engulfed completely, dispersing moments later into a cloud of white smoke.
But Mei felt no relief. "Damn it. The real Zabuza is still on the battlefield. He's already clashing with Kisame 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 perimeter of the Hidden Mist Village, on a narrow peninsula, Zabuza's rebel army faced the elite forces led by Kisame Hoshigaki. Kisame rested Samehada against his shoulder, grinning sharply.
"I didn't think you'd dare face me head-on," he said. "Zabuza Momochi… you've got backbone."
Zabuza's killing intent spread like freezing mist. "Kisame Hoshigaki. This battlefield will be your grave."
Kisame'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, Kisame and Zabuza collided head-on. Wielding Samehada, Kisame radiated overwhelming pressure, crushing morale by mere presence. Zabuza, by contrast, was at a clear disadvantage. His condition was weaker, and he fought without the Executioner's Blade.
Within moments, Kisame's sweeping arc of Samehada struck cleanly. Zabuza was thrown violently, heavily wounded. Kisame straightened, a victorious grin spreading across his face.
Then-Bang! Zabuza's body dissolved into a cloud of white smoke.
"What?!" Kisame's pupils shrank. "Th-That's… a Shadow Clone?!"
At that moment, Mei Terumi and Ao arrived, witnessing the scene firsthand.
"What?!" Mei exclaimed. "Even the Zabuza fighting here was a clone? Then… where is the real one?"
Ao's voice dropped, realization dawning. "Don't tell me…"
A terrifying possibility formed simultaneously in everyone's mind.
From the mist, a lone figure emerged. In his grasp was Zabuza's true body, restrained completely, chakra sealed and movements suppressed. The sudden appearance silenced the battlefield. Kisame froze. Mei'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.