The mist hung thick in the air, slowly beginning to dissipate after the chaos of the battle. Zabuza lay on the ground, battered and unconscious, his body littered with deep gashes. Kakashi stood over him, breathing heavily, his Sharingan still active as he surveyed the aftermath. He could feel the burn of his chakra reserves, the strain from the intense combat, but more than that, his mind was already moving ahead, thinking about what was coming next.
Zabuza's done for now, Kakashi thought, his gaze flicking to the fallen rogue ninja. I've done more damage to him than in the original timeline. With these injuries, it's going to take him a lot longer to heal. This mission just became more manageable.
But Kakashi knew that this battle wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
The fog thickened again, rolling in from all directions, and Kakashi immediately became alert, his hand twitching toward a kunai on his hip. It was then that he sensed it—another presence, one he'd expected but had no intention of stopping.
A figure emerged from the mist, moving with fluid precision. He was cloaked in the dark attire of a Mist Village shinobi, the same kind of cloak that marked the Hunter-Nin of the Hidden Mist. Kakashi knew who it was immediately. Haku.
Haku was pretending, as always, to be just another loyal follower, but Kakashi could see the truth. Haku wasn't just a loyal companion to Zabuza—he was a Mist Hunter-Nin, trained to clean up the messes left by rogue ninjas. He was here to retrieve Zabuza's body, and Kakashi didn't have to wait long to see that Haku's acting was flawless.
Kakashi said nothing, watching as Haku knelt beside Zabuza's lifeless form. There was no sign of panic or distress in his movements. Haku placed a hand on Zabuza's chest, checking for a pulse with an air of practiced calm. His eyes briefly flickered to Kakashi, almost as if to gauge how much the Copy Ninja knew.
"I'll take him from here," Haku said softly, his voice calm and controlled, his tone completely different from the concern he had shown when Zabuza was initially downed. "You've done enough."
Kakashi didn't respond immediately. He studied Haku carefully, knowing that the young boy wasn't just a follower, but a trained Hunter-Nin—someone capable of handling things on his own in a way few others could. Kakashi's mind quickly processed the situation, assessing the chances of a surprise attack.
I know how this plays out. He's pretending to be a simple Hunter-Nin, here to take Zabuza's body. No need to intervene now. Zabuza's not going anywhere for a while. He's too damaged.
Kakashi sighed, feeling the weight of his exhaustion settle in. The fight had drained him more than he had expected, and his body ached from the strain. He could see Naruto and Sasuke still catching their breath in the distance, but Kakashi knew they were safe—for now. Zabuza and Haku wouldn't be a threat while the rogue ninja was in such a vulnerable state.
"Go ahead," Kakashi said, his voice tired but firm, his gaze unwavering. "Take him."
Haku nodded, a small, almost imperceptible smile flickering across his face before he carefully lifted Zabuza's limp body. The mist swirled around him, and Haku began to retreat, his steps quiet and deliberate as he moved to disappear into the fog. Kakashi didn't try to stop him, didn't even move to follow. He could sense that the fight was far from over, but Haku's retreat was the right move for now.
Zabuza would be down for the count longer than he expected. Haku would take him somewhere to recover, but Kakashi knew that the battle was far from finished. Zabuza's will to fight hadn't been broken yet, and that meant it was only a matter of time before they would face him again.
Kakashi looked back at his two students, who were still catching their breath, and gave them a tired smile beneath his mask. "Let's rest up. We've still got a mission to finish."