The timeline shifts back to a day earlier.
Just as Izayoi stepped out of the Black Market, he saw Momochi Zabuza and Haku, who had been tied up by Shadow Clones, already awake from their unconscious state.
"Impressive, waking up so quickly. As expected of the 'Demon Man' Zabuza, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist," Izayoi praised.
"You didn't kill us. Are you planning to hand us over to the Hidden Mist Village or the Black Market?" Momochi Zabuza asked weakly.
Before Izayoi could respond, Haku urgently interjected, "Please don't hand Zabuza-sama over to the Hidden Mist Village or the Black Market. I'm willing to earn money for you to repay Zabuza-sama's bounty."
"You ninjas really have strange ways of thinking," Izayoi remarked sarcastically. "I've already taken down Gato. All his treasures are mine now. Do you really think I'd care about your meager earnings?"
After saying this, Izayoi couldn't help but ask Momochi Zabuza, "How much is your bounty?"
"Seventeen million ryo," Zabuza replied.
Izayoi immediately looked disgusted. "You're an Elite Jonin, yet your bounty is less than half of Asuma Sarutobi's from the Leaf Village?"
"..."
Momochi Zabuza was left speechless.
How could he even compare? What was Asuma's status, and what was his? If it weren't for his Executioner's Blade, the Hidden Mist Village might not even have offered seventeen million ryo for him.
"I actually like you two idiots. If it weren't for your professional ethics, Gato's wealth wouldn't have fallen into my hands so easily."
Izayoi dispelled the Shadow Clones and smiled. "So, if you do one thing for me, I'll let you go."
"As long as you spare Zabuza-sama, I'm willing to do anything," Haku immediately said.
Hearing this, Zabuza felt a warmth in his heart. He then looked at Izayoi and said, "My specialty is assassination."
"I don't need you to kill anyone," Izayoi said, pointing at Haku and asking knowingly, "What's your name? Are you wanted?"
"My name is Haku. I'm Zabuza-sama's tool. I'm not wanted," Haku replied. To prove he wasn't lying, he endured the excruciating pain of his shattered body and removed the mask that hadn't been destroyed by the Repulsion or the rubble, revealing a perfectly delicate face.
"Good. I have a task for you," Izayoi said as he walked over to Haku. He took out a scroll from his person and tossed it on the ground. "Go to the Hidden Sand Village and buy these materials for me. If you do, I'll let you and Momochi Zabuza go."
After saying this, Izayoi rolled up his sleeve, revealing his pale arm. Then, as if remembering something, he looked down at Haku and asked, "By the way, are you a boy or a girl?"
"I'm a boy," Haku replied.
"Such a pity for that face of yours."
Izayoi let his sleeve fall back down and lifted the hem of his robe, extending his calf in front of Haku. "Take a bite. One bite, and your injuries will heal."
Seeing this, Zabuza's eyes flashed. "Physical Stamina Healing... Are you a survivor of the Uzumaki Clan?"
"Not bad. As one of the perpetrators who destroyed the Whirlpool Country, your Hidden Mist Village sure knows a lot about the Uzumaki Clan," Izayoi said with a mocking tone.
Hearing their conversation, Haku also realized something. He leaned his head forward with effort and gently bit Izayoi's calf, careful not to bite too hard, fearing that it might anger Izayoi and lead to their deaths.
With a single bite, Haku's eyes widened in astonishment.
It was as if he had been plunged into a hot spring in the midst of a freezing tundra, a warm current that dispelled all negative energy surged through his body.
Under the influence of this warm current, Haku's external and internal injuries began to heal at a visible rate.
Even the bones that had been shattered by the repulsive force and the internal bleeding of his organs, all seemed to reverse time and mend themselves.
This was the formidable power of the Uzumaki Clan's Physical Stamina Healing. In the original story, even Tsunade, whose body had been severed in two, had been able to regain her life through this technique.
In just a moment, all of Haku's injuries were completely healed.
Izayoi wiped his calf on Haku's clothes and then said, "The scroll lists the materials to be purchased. I'll give you a budget of thirty million ryo. Buy as much as you can."
"Sir, I will definitely complete the task you've assigned. Please, also heal Zabuza-sama," Haku said, performing a dogeza bow with utmost respect.
"Get lost. Do you think just anyone is worthy of biting me? If it weren't for the fact that I need you to work for me, you wouldn't even deserve this treatment," Izayoi retorted irritably. "He won't die. If you come back early, there will still be time to take him for treatment. Remember, you only have ten days. If you exceed that, I'll assume you're dead."
"Haku, don't worry about me," Momochi Zabuza chimed in.
"...Understood."
Quickly, Haku took the money and scroll from Izayoi and vanished towards the Land of Wind using the Body Flicker Technique.
Izayoi created another Shadow Clone, hoisted Zabuza onto his back, and left the area.
"Aren't we going to wait here for Haku to return?" Zabuza asked. "You didn't tell him where to meet."
"No need. As long as he appears in the Land of Fire, he won't escape my eyes."
So arrogant?
Could it be that he has awakened the Uzumaki Clan's Mind's Eye of the Kagura? Or does his intelligence network span the entire Land of Fire? By the way, aren't all members of the Uzumaki Clan supposed to have red hair? Why is his hair white? Is it the Transformation Technique, or is he a half-breed? Zabuza pondered silently.
Arriving at a cave more than a hundred kilometers away from the Black Market, Izayoi threw Zabuza inside and left a Shadow Clone to guard him. Using the Tenseigan, Izayoi monitored the entire Land of Fire, waiting for the results.
Izayoi wasn't sure if Sasori of the Red Sand would inform Nagato about the robbery.
But considering that his Repulsion and Attraction abilities had been discovered, Izayoi thought it was highly likely that Sasori would tell Nagato.
If that were the case, then his alias would surely come to the attention of Nagato, and even Uchiha Obito and Black Zetsu.
After all, the power to manipulate Repulsion and Attraction, akin to the laws of nature, wasn't something just anyone could possess.
In the original story, there was no Secret Technique that could control these two abilities.
This was one of the fundamental powers of the Ultimate Eye Technique.
With the emergence of another person in the Shinobi World who could use Repulsion and Attraction, and who wore a pure white mask without eye holes, it was uncertain whether Nagato and Uchiha Obito would feel uneasy, but Izayoi knew that Black Zetsu would definitely be unsettled.
After all, he had struggled for a thousand years to see the hope of rescuing his mother in this era.
Now, an anomaly had suddenly appeared. Even if he had to dig three feet into the ground, he would definitely find Izayoi.
Considering the Yin-Yang Release, Spore Technique, and Impersonation Technique of Black and White Zetsu, as well as the Mayfly Technique that allows them to move at high speeds underground, sever all traces of their presence, and merge with the earth and vegetation, even Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Hamura Otsutsuki wouldn't be able to detect them. Izayoi didn't believe his Tenseigan could find them either.
White Zetsu's intelligence-gathering abilities were unparalleled in the Shinobi World. It was possible that he might already know about Izayoi's purchase of Human Puppet materials in the Black Market.
To avoid being set up, Izayoi had to prepare a backup plan.
This was the reason he had spared Haku and Momochi Zabuza!
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