"I didn't go through all this effort just to kill you," Chen Xing said coldly, his left hand pressing firmly against Zabuza's abdomen. "But for convenience's sake… I'll make sure you can't resist for a while."
Zabuza's eyes narrowed. "What—?"
Before he could react, violet chakra flared from Chen Xing's palm. It pulsed in concentric ripples, sinking into Zabuza's stomach. In an instant, the chakra signature within his body was suppressed — his network sealed off.
This was one of Chen Xing's self-developed secret techniques — a derivative of his studies into the Cursed Seal formula. Though temporary, it could forcibly suppress an opponent's chakra flow long enough for him to apply a secondary curse mark with precision.
"Wha—what did you—" Zabuza gritted his teeth, feeling his body go numb as chakra ceased to respond. His muscles stiffened. He glared at Chen Xing. "You… what are you planning to do to me?"
"Don't hurt him!" Haku cried, rushing forward, her face filled with panic. Yet she stopped short, afraid of provoking Chen Xing — especially with the air still humming from his Lightning Release.
Chen Xing ignored her. His left hand once again pulsed with energy — this time, a dark violet-black chakra mixed with sealing formulae that snaked outward like living ink.
Before Zabuza could move, Chen Xing pressed the mark into his abdomen. The cursed formula spread rapidly across his skin, glowing faintly before sinking beneath the surface.
Zabuza's eyes widened. "What did you—!"
"Relax," Chen Xing said flatly, lowering his right hand and letting the lightning dissipate. "I simply gave you… a seal."
Zabuza's face darkened. "A seal? You dare mark me, brat?!"
The anger that surged through him backfired instantly. Pain ripped through his body. The curse reacted violently, sending waves of agony through his nervous system. The Kubikiribōchō slipped from his grip and slammed into the ground with a heavy thud. His body convulsed as the black markings pulsed across his neck and shoulders.
"GAAAH—!" Zabuza fell to one knee, his jaw clenched, veins bulging as he fought to stay conscious.
The seal glowed brighter, flashing intermittently like a pulse of lightning.
It felt as though a thousand senbon needles were stabbing through every nerve in his body — pain sharper than any blade he'd known.
Chen Xing stood over him, watching with a cold expression. Though he had tested the formula in theory, this was the first time he had applied it on a living shinobi of Zabuza's caliber.
So this is what it looks like when the curse activates… effective, but brutal.
Even as he observed, a chill ran down his spine.
If someone ever managed to place something like this on me… I'd be helpless.
For the first time, Chen Xing felt a deep sense of vulnerability — a reminder that unless he grew stronger, he could one day be the one kneeling in agony.
He clenched his fists.
No one will ever control my fate. Not the village, not fate, not anyone.
Haku darted forward again, kneeling beside her master. "Zabuza-sama! Please, stop!" Her voice trembled as she glared at Chen Xing, eyes glistening with tears. "What have you done to him?!"
Chen Xing replied calmly, "He's not dying. The curse simply ensures obedience."
He formed a brief seal, and the black markings across Zabuza's skin slowly receded. The pain faded, leaving the missing-nin gasping for breath, drenched in sweat.
"Damn you…" Zabuza muttered, forcing himself upright, one hand clutching his abdomen. "If you wanted to kill me, you should've done it. What's your game, kid?"
Chen Xing's expression didn't change. "I don't need you dead. I need you working for me. Five years of service — that's the price for your lives."
Haku's eyes widened. "Five years?"
"You expect us to become your lackeys?" Zabuza's voice dripped with venom, though he stayed wary — aware that defying the seal could trigger it again. "You're playing a dangerous game, brat."
Chen Xing shrugged slightly. "Call it what you like. You serve me for five years — after that, the curse will dissolve on its own. You'll be free."
Zabuza's eyes narrowed. "And how do I know you're not lying?"
"You don't," Chen Xing said simply. "But unless you'd rather die now, you don't have a choice. Try to tamper with the seal, and it'll detonate your chakra system from the inside out. You'll experience pain far worse than what you just felt — and your body will collapse in seconds."
Zabuza's hand tightened around his sword. His jaw flexed. "…Tch. Fine. But if you betray me, I'll drag you into hell with me."
"Fair enough," Chen Xing replied coolly. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have spared your apprentice."
Haku's eyes widened. "You… knew I was from the Land of Water?"
Chen Xing smirked. "Haku of the Yuki clan — the last wielder of Ice Release. You're hardly an ordinary kunoichi. Don't worry — I have no intention of harming you. You're both more useful alive."
Haku froze, realizing how thoroughly he had analyzed them.
"Let's move," Chen Xing said at last, turning away. "We'll talk as we travel."
---
Later That Night — In the Grassland Forest
Under a sky scattered with starlight, a small campfire burned beside the open plains. Three figures sat around it — Chen Xing, Zabuza, and Haku. The crackling fire illuminated their faces, flickering across Zabuza's battered sword and Chen Xing's reflective gaze.
"I didn't expect someone like you to come from such a small place," Zabuza said at last, his tone grudgingly respectful. "Star Village… that's in Bear Country, right? Hardly worth mentioning on the map."
Chen Xing smiled faintly. "That's true. Star Village is tiny — but power isn't limited by a village's name."
Zabuza grunted. "Hmph. You're a strange one, kid. A genius with three chakra natures, curse seals, and sealing arts — all from some backwater village. I've met plenty of shinobi in my time, but you're something else."
Beside him, Haku tilted her head. "Star Village… I've never heard of it. Is it part of any great nation?"
"No," Chen Xing replied. "It's a minor village in the Land of Bears. Small, but… with ambitions to grow."
Zabuza smirked under his bandages. "Ambitions, huh? You sound like a Kage already. So what's next, kid? Where do we go from here?"
Chen Xing's eyes reflected the firelight — steady and confident.
"You're both coming back to Hoshigakure with me. For the next five years, you'll work as hidden operatives — masked, nameless, unseen. No one will know who you are."
Zabuza frowned. "You want me to act like some ANBU dog?"
"Think of it as… insurance," Chen Xing said. "You'll have freedom to move — and I'll have two of the best missing-nin from the Mist under my command. Fair trade."
Zabuza gave a low, rough chuckle. "Heh. You've got guts, brat. But one day, when this seal breaks… we'll settle this properly."
Chen Xing smiled faintly. "I'll be waiting. By then, make sure you're strong enough to challenge me."
The fire crackled between them, and for a brief moment, an uneasy alliance was forged — not out of trust, but out of mutual recognition between predators.