While Zabuza was thinking about what to do Haku stood in front of Zabuza with his senbon needles in hand and said "Zabuza you run. I will stall this guy here."
Yami shrugged and said "Zabuza why don't you try what Haku said. I would also like to know how far you go. I will play with Haku for a few seconds and then catch you."
Zabuza sighed pushed Haku behind him facing Yami and said "I am ready to make a deal but I have one condition."
Yami smiled and said "What would that be?"
Zabuza hesitated and said "I want my sword back."
"But I never took it." Yami said showing both his hands which were empty.
"Wha..."Zabuza was about to say when he noticed that the sword was in his own hand. He then looked back and saw Haku had a basket in his hand and was unconscious under a tree. Zabuza could see that Haku was breathing which means he isn't dead.
He looked back at Yami and asked "What is happening?" He then touched his own torso and noticed he didn't have any bruise where Yami hit him nor did he feel any pain. His eyes widened as realization dawned on him.
"All that was an illusion?"
Yami smirked and said "Yes but I can make that illusion a reality very easily. Do you want to give it a try? Or do you want to talk about the deal?"
'He knocked out Haku without me even knowing and put me in a genjutsu without even doing anything. Those red eyes seem scarier than before now. I don't think I have any way of getting out of this by fighting him.' Zabuza thought.
"Tell me about the deal. I don't think I have much of a choice here." Zabuza said. In his mind, he was practically screaming. Even in the hidden mist, he never had been tamed like this by anyone and now here a 9-year-old was toying with him. But he wasn't foolish enough to believe that this kid won't kill him.
"For now forsake the mission given by Gato. Let him attack the bridge builder by himself with his goons. When he dies I want you to go and finish off the rest of his men and collect all his wealth." Yami said.
Zabuza nodded and asked "How are you sure that Gato and his men will die? He has more than 50 of them."
"I don't remember." Yami said.
"Remember what?" Zabuza asked in a confused expression on his face.
The smile on Yami's face disappeared instantly as he looked at Zabuza with his Sharingan "I don't remember when I asked for your opinion on my plan. If I said he and the men he brings will die, they will die."
Zabuza flinched when he heard that. Hearing this Zabuza understood that this wasn't a negotiation but a simple order and he had no say in it. All he had to do was say yes and do it. He hated being controlled by it but he knew that he was helpless.
He grit his teeth and asked "How and when do you want me to deliver that wealth to you?"
Yami waved his hand and said "I don't need it. Arrange a way to give half of it to the bridge builder in small amounts. You can keep the other half."
'What? He wants me to take the other half?' Zabuza thought as he heard what Yami just said.
"Then what do you want me to do for you?" Zabuza asked in a confused tone.
Yami shook his head and said "For the next 2-3 years lay low and keep increasing your strength. You both are too weak to be of any use to me. Keep your sword in a scroll so that no one recognizes you and train with a normal sword. And lose those bandages. The sword and bandages are enough for anyone to know who you are."
"Huh? You want me to hide in plain sight by removing my bandages and using a normal sword. And keep doing that until me and Haku become strong enough to do anything for you?" Zabuza was getting more and more confused every passing second.
Yami was getting bored now. It was too tiring for him to talk to an idiot. "Yes, that's what I want you to do."
"What if I take the money and leave. How will you know that I won't betray you?" Zabuza asked.
"I have a solution for that." Yami said and raised his hands a little. Zabuza didn't understand what was going on but then he saw a red-eyed black bat come out of Yami's sleeve. The bat flew toward Zabuza and then pierced its nails in Zabuza's chest. Zabuza felt a little pain but it was nothing for a veteran fighter like him. The bat then changed into a tattoo and imprinted itself on the chest.
"This tattoo will let me know of your location and if you ever try to betray me it will poison you. When you need to contact me, write it in a scroll and insert chakra into the tattoo directly. The bat will appear and then you can tie the scroll to its legs. I will contact you the same way. But if you misbehave then don't think I will hesitate to kill Haku. You may act like it but you do care about him. And I assure you I will make you watch helplessly as Haku meets a fate far terrible than death." Yami said.
Yami then turned around to leave but Zabuza stopped him.
"Wait."
Yami looked back and asked "What is it?"
"You didn't even wait for my answer."
Yami chuckled and said "You never had any option. And what's wrong with trying to live peacefully for a few years? Maybe you will even take a liking to it and become human from the monster you now are."
Zabuza's gaze turned soft for a second as he muttered "human" and looked at Haku who was peacefully lying down. He then turned back to look at Yami but he was already gone.
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