𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝒀𝑶𝑼 | 𝑲.𝑰𝑵𝒁𝑼𝑲𝑨

|I{•------» [14] «------•}I|

"Who was that masked kid?" Sakura asked as Kakashi stirred from his sleep. The rest of Team 7 and Tazuna gathered in Kakashi's room, waiting for an explanation.

"The mask is worn by the Hidden Mist's special Hunter ninja team. They're also known as body erasers because their duty is to dispose of their target's body without leaving a single trace of its existence behind," Sarutobi explained with an exasperated sigh.

Kakashi turned his gaze from Ruka to the ceiling and confirmed what she had said. "A ninja's body carries many secrets, not just about their village but also about their clans and jutsu."

"For example, if I were to die, the secrets of the Sharingan could be revealed. If you're not careful, there's always a risk that the enemy could steal your jutsu. That's why these hunter ninjas are obligated to kill and dispose of those who have deserted their villages. They specialize in protecting the village secrets from falling into enemy hands."

"So Zabuza was disposed of..." Sakura trailed off, her expression turning pale. Ruka muttered a faint confirmation, adding to the sense of fear in the room.

Ruka looked over at Kakashi, who was lost in thought until she brought him back to the conversation. "He's still alive."

Confusion filled the room as the others looked at Ruka. Sakura spoke up, seeking clarification. "Who is?"

"Zabuza," Ruka replied with irritation evident in her voice. "Usually, he should have disposed of the body right then and there. And if the village needed proof, his head would have sufficed."

"I've been thinking about it a lot, like how it doesn't add up that someone like him would just use simple needles..." Ruka muttered, causing Naruto to interject, proclaiming, "But we saw his body, believe it!"

"Yeah," Sakura countered, defending her observation. "Kakashi-sensei checked him, and his heart stopped."

Kakashi looked at Ruka, realization dawning on him. He was amazed by the girl's insight. "Ruka's right. His heart did stop, but that was just a temporary state to simulate death. The weapons that tracker used are called senbon."

"Senbon. These needles rarely kill unless they hit a vital point," Ruka added. "Listen, there's no point in denying that he'll come after us as soon as he's healed up. We need to be prepared."

"That means it's time for some serious training," Kakashi nodded, and Naruto expressed his excitement by exclaiming and throwing a fist in the air. "Finally! Some real training!"

"That doesn't sound like fun," a new voice commented dryly. All heads turned towards Tazuna's grandson, who stood there with a fiery glare, unimpressed by their enthusiasm.

Ruka narrowed her gaze at him as he continued. "You're all going to die," he stated bluntly, unfazed by his mother's disapproving snap. "There's no way you can win against Gatou."

She frowned at the young boy, who scoffed even when his mother attempted to reprimand him again. Ruka didn't need to look at her teammates to know that they were not amused by his comments.

"I will defeat him!" Naruto declared, pointing eagerly at the young boy. "And I will become the next Hokage!"

Inari's glare turned frosty at that moment. "You're stupid. There's no such thing as heroes."

With that final statement, the boy turned on his heels and walked out of the room without looking back. Ruka's eyes softened with pity, knowing that whatever the kid had experienced in his young life had left a bitter mark that would never completely heal.