"It seems you've found the courage to side with a Demon?"
The sea breeze ruffled Menma's black robes, and the air was thick with the scent of blood and salt, along with a chilling pressure.
"...As long as I can save Haku." Zabuza's voice was exceptionally firm.
He maintained his dogeza posture, his forehead still pressed against the cold ground. "If siding with a Demon is the only path to saving him… I will gladly do it, without regret."
Menma watched him silently.
After a moment of quiet, he spoke again, the playful tone in his voice replaced by a deeper, more profound inquiry.
"Very well. Then, Zabuza Momochi, I need to confirm you possess the 'courage' I demand."
His words probed the deepest parts of the man's heart. "This courage does not stem from your tight grip on what you hold dear, your unwillingness to let go…"
"Instead, it must be born from your complete 'letting go' of your past obsessions and ideals."
"Tell me, are you truly prepared… to sacrifice the so-called 'dreams' you once fought and bore everything for, in exchange for the right to cross to the other side?"
This was no longer a simple transaction; it was more like an inquisition of the soul.
What he was asked to deny was the very foundation of his existence as Zabuza Momochi, the Demon Man.
Zabuza did not hesitate in the slightest.
"This resolve…" Zabuza suddenly lifted his head, his face a mix of tears and bloodstains, his eyes burning with unwavering determination.
"I am ready! As long as I can save Haku, what I possess is no longer just the courage to side with a Demon!"
His voice suddenly rose, "If you want a Demon… then I am one!"
For Haku, he could completely blacken himself, transform into an existence more terrifying than a Demon.
Past ambitions, the dream of dominating Hidden Mist, even his pride as a Ninja… all could be cast aside in the face of Haku's life!
————
On the other side, Kakashi's Sharingan spun wildly, trying to decipher the incredible scene that had just unfolded, but the immense shock and pressure made it almost impossible for him to think calmly.
Restoration? Repairing a corpse? Resurrection?!
What kind of… gentle yet terrifying power was this?! But why did it appear in the hands of the leader of the [Blaze] organization, a public enemy of the Ninja World who possessed the destructive Ninjutsu [Great Spiraling Ring]?
What exactly was this ability? A Bloodline Limit never heard of before? Or some even more forbidden secret Ninjutsu?
However, the immense pressure Kakashi felt at this moment did not solely come from the shock and fear of this unknown power.
A colder thought shot into his mind, instantly plunging him into an ice-cold abyss.
This power, capable of reversing life and death, of overturning the entire Ninja World's understanding… would Menma allow those who knew about it to leave easily?
Would he choose to silence them to keep this secret?
This possibility almost froze Kakashi's blood!
He subconsciously pulled Sakura closer, his Sharingan fixed on Menma's back, his brain frantically calculating all possibilities and countermeasures at an unprecedented speed.
The disparity in strength between them was vast; the opponent also had Kakuzu and the terrifying [Nine-Faced Beast], while he had three students to protect, one of whom (Naruto) seemed to be greatly exhausted… The desperate situation was almost suffocating.
But no matter what… Kakashi's gaze swept over Naruto, Sakura, and Satsuki beside him.
No matter what happens… even if it costs him his life, he must ensure they survive!
This belief quickly solidified in his heart.
He was ready to activate the most extreme defense, even to fight with his life, at any moment.
Menma was completely unaware of the immense psychological pressure his teacher was currently under, almost to the point of collapse.
After hearing Zabuza's resolute and all-renouncing answer, he nodded in satisfaction.
"I have truly felt your resolve to abandon your past and become an Asura. Now, I will fulfill this contract and complete this transaction."
As his words fell, the [Crazy Diamond], visible only to Menma and radiating a soft glow, quietly reappeared behind him.
Its hands aimed at the faintly breathing Haku on the ground, and its power to repair all things once again began to surge silently.
Zabuza's breathing almost stopped, all his attention fixed on Haku, his heart pounding like a drum, the tension even surpassing the moment he single-handedly assassinated the Mizukage!
Success or failure, Haku's return or not, all hinged on this moment!
Under Zabuza's almost suffocating gaze, a miracle once again unfolded—
The shocking, massive hole in Haku's chest, pierced by [Chidori], began to emit a warm and pure light from its edges.
Broken bones, torn muscles, severed blood vessels… everything was precisely reconnected and reshaped by an invisible hand.
The destructive wound healed at a visible, insane speed; granulation tissue rapidly spread, filling the terrifying void, and the skin also closed up, finally becoming as smooth as new, leaving only a slightly pale patch of skin.
For some reason, Zabuza vaguely seemed to see a few butterflies fluttering out from Haku's completely healed chest.
He blinked hard, suspecting it was an illusion caused by his extreme tension and anticipation.
But none of that mattered anymore!
All irrelevant thoughts were cast aside; he now had only one thing he absolutely had to confirm!
When the treatment ended, an incredibly clear, steady sound of breathing reached Zabuza's ears—no longer the faint airflow that required him to hold his breath and listen carefully to catch, but a true, undeniable sign of life's revival!
To Zabuza, this sound of breathing was the most beautiful sound!
Haku wasn't dead! He hadn't gone to that cold, unreachable other side!
This realization instantly shattered the heavy shackles and despair in his heart that had almost crushed him.
Immense joy and an unspeakable sorrow simultaneously surged into his heart, making it impossible for the Demon Man, accustomed to coldness and slaughter, to maintain any composure.
He tremblingly, extremely carefully, bent down and gently embraced the still unconscious but stable Haku.
Silent tears streamed down, mixing with the previous bloodstains, dripping in large drops onto Haku's clothes and beside his pale but re-energized cheek.
This was his catharsis after surviving a great ordeal, and even more, the immense emotional impact of recovering what was lost.
Menma's gaze shifted from this moving scene, sweeping towards the pile of headless corpses left by Gato's subordinates not far away.
This subtle movement made Kakashi, whose nerves were stretched to their limit, suddenly feel a 'thump' in his heart.
However, the next moment, a precisely controlled, fierce hurricane once again appeared out of nowhere, but it did not strike anyone.
Instead, it swiftly swept up the bloody, messy pile of severed limbs and torsos, along with the sticky blood sprayed everywhere, carrying them all over the bridge railing and into the turbulent sea below.
Only the large patches of dark red bloodstains on the bridge deck, which could not be completely blown away, silently spoke of the brutal massacre that had just occurred.
Satsuki couldn't be allowed to see this bloody scene… This was Menma's… or rather, Naruto's subconscious thought, driving him to complete this cleanup.
After doing all this, Menma glanced in the direction Gato had been dragged away by Kakuzu, understanding that Kakuzu's "financial audit" work would likely not be finished anytime soon.
So he no longer lingered, stepping forward and placing a hand on Zabuza's shoulder, who was still immersed in intense emotions, silently weeping while holding Haku.
With the activation of the Flying Thunder God Technique, the figures of the three instantly blurred and vanished from their original spot, leaving behind the empty bridge deck, the still-wet bloodstains, and Kakashi and his group, who were dumbfounded, relieved of pressure, yet filled with shock and confusion.