Chapter 321: Epilogue: The End of the Battle
Hozuki Suigetsu had two very powerful moves that could be used in taijutsu.
The first move was the Great Water Arm Jutsu, which could gather the water from his whole body into his arm, thereby strengthening the arm's power to generate a huge force capable of splitting mountains and cracking rocks, so Suigetsu's attack power was very strong. The second move was the Hydrification Technique, which he had not yet used in front of Haku, which could make him immune to most physical damage, so Suigetsu's defense was also very strong.
With these two nin-taijutsu moves, Suigetsu had outstanding abilities on both offense and defense, so what Hozuki Suigetsu was truly proud of was his taijutsu.
It was just that he didn't have a suitable weapon in his hand, so his taijutsu was a little awkward. But dealing with this delicate-looking girl in front of him should be enough!
Thinking this, Suigetsu rushed up with full confidence.
And then... he faced the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.
The Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals that Yuki Haku was using now was the second phase that Haruno Sakura had taught her: there was no need to specially create ice mirrors. Other ice blocks could be used as a medium, as long as chakra was injected into the large ice blocks.
Because several ninjutsu had been cast on the field, ice blocks were already everywhere, so Haku's use of this Body Flicker was simply elusive. Suigetsu had strength, but he couldn't hit her at all.
No matter how strong the power was, it was useless if it didn't hit anyone.
In the world of martial arts, nothing is unbreakable, only speed is unbreakable!
—Although there was no such saying in the ninja world, after being taught a lesson by the Yellow Flash and other super-high-speed ninja, most ninja more or less agreed with this point of view.
Although the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals jutsu was not comparable to the Flying Raijin, when facing a ninja who was not fast, it was enough to form a crushing situation. At first, Haku had just shown off her speed and hadn't struck hard, wanting to use her super-high-speed Body Flicker to persuade Suigetsu to retreat. However, relying on his Hydrification Technique and not fearing physical attacks, Suigetsu insisted on continuing the fight.
Alright...
So, a few minutes later, Hozuki Suigetsu was defeated and ended up in the state Yuki Haku saw before her: his whole body was frozen into a puddle of ice, with only his head sticking out of the ice.
The immobilized Suigetsu looked confused.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you," the pacifist Haku said seriously, sitting next to him, waiting for the battle on Sakura's side to end. "The water your body turned into has been frozen here by me. After thawing, you won't be missing any arms or legs!"
"Hmph! Damn it!" Suigetsu shouted with a look of bad luck and helplessness.
That helpless and painful expression was in stark contrast to his arrogant smile at the beginning.
Hn... Yuki Haku glanced at Suigetsu's appearance and suddenly couldn't help but laugh.
"You look really funny!" Suigetsu's appearance hit the older girl's funny bone. She reached out and rubbed the top of Suigetsu's head, messing up his neatly combed silver hair into a chicken's nest—this kind of bad taste was obviously influenced by someone.
"Don't touch! A warrior can be killed but not humiliated!" The silver-haired youth's face darkened, and he stretched his neck as hard as he could, trying to bite the small hand the girl extended. His teeth clicked together loudly.
"Chirp! Chirp!" Yuki Haku sat beside him, her hand nimbly dodging his sharp teeth attack, teasing him, making chirping sounds playfully, and saying with a smile, "Your neck is too short, you can't bite me!"
After playing for a while, the smile on Haku's face was suppressed, and the heaviness in her heart made her a little restless.
How is the battle between Sakura and Orochimaru going? Haku jumped onto the mountain and looked towards the sea over there.
Although she couldn't see the battlefield, the roaring sound of the giant ninjutsu clashing could be detected even from a great distance. That violent chakra sensation was as conspicuous as a lighthouse in the dark.
"Water Dragon Bullet, Water Formation Wall, Five Consecutive Water Dragon Bullets... they are all super-giant Water Style jutsu," Haku silently recited the ninjutsu she could recognize as she watched, her heart heavy.
"Hey! Yuki Haku!" the immobilized silver-haired youth shouted loudly from below. "Who won?"
"They're not done fighting yet!" Haku replied. As she spoke, the roar of several more ninjutsu came from over there. A fierce wind immediately blew up, and gravel flew, hitting her face, which was annoying.
The girl sighed and jumped down from the mountain.
"Still no winner?" Suigetsu glanced at her and asked.
"No," Haku shook her head, then smiled again. "But I have bad news for you. Orochimaru's chakra is getting weaker!"
Suigetsu snorted, lowered his head, and said nothing.
After a while, he raised his head again and said, "Like us, the battle that just happened was actually meaningless, right? Only after they decide the winner can it be decided whether I can take the Executioner's Blade, regardless of who wins or loses between us, right!"
Haku was slightly stunned. Thinking about it carefully, what Suigetsu said was exactly right.
If the one who came over later was Orochimaru, then no matter how she struggled, the Executioner's Blade would have to be handed over, and maybe she would even have to use Hozuki Suigetsu as a hostage to save her life.
Conversely, if the one who came was Haruno Sakura, then Hozuki Suigetsu should forget about the Executioner's Blade and consider how to surrender first!
"Sigh... that's true!" she sighed.
"Actually, my strength and yours should be close. We are both Jonin-level ninja. I was just completely countered by you!" Suigetsu added.
Most ninja have their own strengths and weaknesses. When two people of equal strength have a countering relationship, there will often be a scene where one side is completely dominated by the other. Suigetsu and Haku were such an example. This did not mean that Suigetsu was a level weaker than Haku.
However, for Suigetsu to speak like this, he was actually still a little unconvinced in his heart...
Haku glanced at him, didn't care, and chatted with him casually amidst the occasional booming sounds.
It was truly amazing that the two of them, who had just been in a life-or-death struggle, could now chat calmly.
Before long, a rumbling explosion sounded from the horizon. The sound became stronger wave after wave, stirring up fierce winds. The sound wave of the explosion could still be felt even standing here!
It lasted for half a minute before it stopped. Suigetsu and Haku looked at each other, unable to imagine what kind of ninjutsu could unleash such power.
"It should be ending soon, right?" After a long silence, Suigetsu squeezed out a sentence.
Is it over?
For a long time, no new explosions, collisions, or whistling sounds came from over there. Yuki Haku knew that the fight was probably really over.
She assumed a defensive posture, waiting anxiously for the result of the battle.
Who will walk out of the battlefield and come here?
Yuki Haku, who was gradually growing into a young woman, looked grave, standing silently, waiting for the result, feeling as if seconds were dragging like years.
She didn't wait too long.
With a plop, Orochimaru and the Second Hokage appeared in front of the two of them!
He actually won! Yuki Haku's body trembled, and she subconsciously used the Ice Body Flicker to open up the distance!
However, she knew in her heart that against Orochimaru, this little trick could at most only delay for a period of time...
"Where is Sakura?" Yuki Haku frowned tightly, staring deadly at Orochimaru, gritting her teeth and asking!
Orochimaru ignored her. Instead, the person beside him, whom Haku didn't recognize, said, "Don't worry, Haruno Sakura defeated Orochimaru. She will be here soon!"
Haku looked intently and realized that the person was wearing a Konoha forehead protector. Her little head was immediately confused. What was going on?
Why did Sakura win, but it was Orochimaru who came over? Why was a Konoha person following Orochimaru, yet kindly explaining these things?
On the other side, Orochimaru directly used Fire Style to roast Suigetsu out of the ice block. The latter looked at him excitedly. "Orochimaru, so you won! Can we go get the Executioner's Blade?"
It was really a case of bringing up the pot that wasn't boiling. Orochimaru had actually lost. He glared at Suigetsu with eyes as cold as frost. The silver-haired youth almost thought he had been frozen again.
Then Orochimaru said, "Shut up, it's time to go!"
Before Suigetsu could say anything, the Second Hokage took the two of them and disappeared from the spot.
Haruno Sakura arrived almost immediately after.
She jumped off an ice mirror, landed next to Haku, glanced in the direction Orochimaru and the others had disappeared, and shook her head.
"How are you, Haku? Are you alright?"
The black-haired woman, still a little shaken, grabbed Sakura's arm. "So scary! What happened just now? Why was there another 'Kage'-level ninja beside Orochimaru?"
"It's a long story," Haruno Sakura let out a long breath and said.
Sakura looked around. The aftershock of the battle between the two just now had actually turned this place into a mess as well. She finally found a relatively clean rock, washed it clean with Water Style, and then sat down heavily, letting out a long sigh of relief!
"Before explaining what happened just now, let's first consider how to deal with the problem of the Executioner's Blade and Zabuza's grave!"
The pink-haired girl sighed.
The two looked at each other, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.
Zabuza's grave being targeted by Orochimaru was really dangerous. This time Sakura had repelled him, but what about next time?
Even setting up a barrier was not a foolproof plan. Barriers were dead objects, and there would always be a way to break them. If Orochimaru was determined to seize the Executioner's Blade and Zabuza's remains, that little obstacle would only take him a week or two to solve.
This time, Orochimaru had probably chosen this time to come with the idea of getting the blade, the dead person, and the living person all together.
If she hadn't come with Haku...
Haruno Sakura shuddered just thinking about the consequences!
"Let's move the grave," Sakura thought seriously for a while and said to Haku. "Bringing Zabuza's grave and the Executioner's Blade back to Konoha is the only way."
Haku looked at her a little sullenly and said, "Let me think about it..."
"Alright," Haruno Sakura also sighed. "Let's leave here first and find a place to rest. Orochimaru and the others won't come again in the short term..."
"And by the way, I'll tell you what happened in the previous battle..."
That night, they stayed at their old acquaintance, Tazuna's house. They warmly welcomed the two girls.
Because the Land of Waves had built a new bridge, opening up a transport channel with Konoha, and Gato, who had been sucking the blood of the Land of Waves, had been killed, the economy had quickly developed.
Walking on the street, the once bleak streets were now bustling again.
This was the first country whose fate had been changed by Team 7. Walking here, Haruno Sakura suddenly felt a bit like she was walking in the Land of Snow.
The fates of the two countries were somewhat similar. Both had once been oppressed and exploited, and then Team 7 had killed the exploiter, bringing new life to the country. It was just that the geographical conditions of the Land of Snow were too poor. Even if they had gained a new life, life was still very hard. But the Land of Waves had unique geographical conditions, with fishing grounds, special products, resources, and was very close to the Land of Fire.
After hugging the thigh of the Land of Fire, the Land of Waves quickly took off.
As a bridge-building expert, Tazuna was now highly valued. Because the economy was booming, the Great Naruto Bridge was beginning to be insufficient. He had been hired by the Daimyo to build a second bridge. The site for the third bridge was also being selected.
Therefore, their home had also changed greatly. The dilapidated small building from before had been renovated, and many luxurious pieces of furniture had been added. It wasn't just the house that had changed. Inari had also grown a lot taller. He was now ten years old. After experiencing so many things, there was much less childishness in his eyes.
Haruno Sakura changed into a new set of clothes here. Her original one had become a hole-filled outfit, leaking wind everywhere, tattered, and covered in blood stains. It was completely scrapped.
Then she slept comfortably in a soft bed at Tazuna's house for a night.
When she woke up the next day, Haku made a decision.
"Let's bring Mr. Zabuza's grave back to Konoha."
End of Volume Ten.
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