…
“Haha... While it didn’t hit a vital spot, if you don’t get treatment, you’ll die.”
After Tatsu was impaled by the water sword, Hoshimizu’s mocking laughter sounded behind her.
“Even if I die, I’ll take you with me!”
Knowing that Karin and Sasuke were not medical ninjas, Tatsu realized she wouldn’t survive. She pulled out a kunai and prepared to strike Hoshimizu.
“Struggling before death is meaningless.”
With a swift step, Hoshimizu appeared not far away, mocking her.
Gripping her painful wound, Tatsu stood up with difficulty.
“Rogue ninja like you deserve to be eliminated, for the world’s peace.”
Staring coldly at Hoshimizu, Tatsu decided to take him down with her.
“Aaaah...”
Just as Tatsu prepared to charge at Hoshimizu, a scream from Karin reached her ears.
“Karin!”
Knowing something was wrong, Tatsu frowned and ignored Hoshimizu, rushing towards Karin.
With a cold expression, Hoshimizu watched Tatsu run across the water. Her previous words clearly made him want to kill her.
With a sinister smile, he gripped a black kunai hidden in his sleeve and dashed forward.
In an instant, Hoshimizu appeared before Tatsu. Without hesitation, he slashed at her vital points with the kunai.
Caught off guard by his sudden attack, Tatsu could only watch as the kunai neared her...
“Is this the end?”
Tatsu’s inner voice whispered as she prepared to close her eyes and accept death. But a large sword intercepted Hoshimizu’s kunai. A cold voice followed.
“I said I owed you a debt. Now, we’re even.”
The unexpected voice shocked Tatsu. She opened her eyes and saw Zabuza, the man Sasuke had saved a few days ago.
“You’re Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist?”
Recognizing Zabuza’s sword, Hoshimizu stared in disbelief.
“Didn’t expect you to know my name, but you’re not getting away.”
With a sneer, Zabuza swung his massive sword.
“Shhhh”
The enormous blade cut through the air with a force like a falling mountain. Faced with such an overwhelming attack, Hoshimizu didn’t dare block it head-on and quickly retreated.
“Zabuza is too strong. I need to find Tsuchioi and retreat for now.”
Unexpectedly, Zabuza appeared and assisted Tatsu. Considering Zabuza's strength, Hoshimizu decided to retreat and reassess.
“Shhh!”
With the thought in mind, Hoshimizu quickly turned and fled after dodging the sword attack.
“Hmph! You think you can escape that easily?”
Seeing Hoshimizu running away, Zabuza smirked coldly, quickly forming hand seals.
“"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!）”
In an instant, a massive water dragon emerged from the lake, carrying a destructive force as it surged towards Hoshimizu.
The water dragon soon caught up with Hoshimizu, crashing down on him with immense pressure. His clothes stuck to his body from the force, unable to do anything but sigh. Even at his best, he couldn’t escape this attack, let alone in his injured state.
“BAM!”
The water dragon finally hit, shaking the entire lake as water sprayed everywhere.
Seeing the water splashing around, Tatsu knew Hoshimizu couldn’t have survived such a powerful jutsu.
“Zabuza is really strong. No wonder Sasuke wanted him to join the village...”
Looking at Zabuza with admiration, Tatsu couldn’t help but praise him.
“Let’s go check on those two kids.”
Ignoring Tatsu’s admiration, Zabuza sheathed his large sword and spoke in a hoarse voice.
“Alright!”
Tatsu didn’t hesitate, quickly moving towards Karin’s location with Zabuza.
Upon reaching Karin, they saw her cradling Sasuke, tears streaming down her face. Haku stood nearby, looking sorrowful.
“Tatsu-san, Sasuke... he...”
Hearing the footsteps, Karin turned to Tatsu and broke down in tears, unable to continue.
“Sasuke...”
Sitting down, Tatsu saw the swords piercing Sasuke's chest and understood why Karin was so distraught.
“Karin, don’t cry. Sasuke might still be saved.”
Gently placing Sasuke in Karin's arms, Tatsu took a deep breath and said, "Sasuke can still be saved."
The air seemed to freeze at Tatsu's words. Even Zabuza's mouth hung open, staring at her in disbelief.
After a moment of stunned silence, the air seemed to thaw. Karin, Haku, and Zabuza snapped out of their daze, feeling the absurdity of Tatsu's claim.
Sasuke was dead, and he could still be saved? The very notion was unbelievable. If there truly were a secret technique for resurrection, the legends of the Five Great Ninja Villages would have been brought back long ago.
"Tatsu, are you joking?"
Karin's voice was dry, filled with a mixture of disbelief and hope. Though she initially doubted Tatsu's words, a small flicker of hope ignited within her heart.
If Sasuke could be brought back, Karin would do anything.
"People cannot be resurrected, not even with the secret techniques of medical ninjutsu."
Zabuza hesitated a moment before speaking firmly.
Haku remained silent, staring intently at Tatsu, eager to see what she would do next.
Seeing their skeptical expressions, Tatsu couldn't help but smile. "Rest assured, Sasuke will definitely come back to life."