When Haku returned with a heavy basket full of herbs, Chizhao eagerly pulled him to sit by Zabuza's bed and meticulously laid out her plan.
Haku carefully assessed Zabuza's recovery, confirming that his internal injuries were no longer a concern and only external wounds needed dressing, which at least wouldn't hinder his movements.
After the three reached a consensus, they decided to officially launch their operation at noon the next day.
The day quietly passed amidst the rising scent of herbs, eventually succumbing to the twilight in the west.
Chizhao sat in Haku's room, organizing her ninja tools. She gently drew out the cang luan blade and carefully wiped its surface.
The blade gleamed with a chilling light under the soft lamp, making her recall the scene of it striking Torune's shoulder that day. The complex emotions that arose sank into the scabbard with the sound of the blade sheathing.
I wonder how Torune is doing now.
He should have returned to the wooden house by now to discuss the next plan with Captain Yamato and the others.
Her fingers unconsciously traced the electronic collar around her neck, remembering the location of Gato's remote control. Her eyes sharpened a few more degrees.
The remote control seemed to be something Gato always carried with him.
She had to find an opportunity to get her hands on it.
Just as her thoughts were drifting, the door creaked open. Haku, still dressed in an elegant kimono, entered the room with a gentle smile, holding herbs in his hands. His voice was soft, with a steady calm that came from being relaxed:
"Are your injuries feeling better?"
Chizhao touched the re-bandaged wound on her arm; she could barely feel any pain there. So, she relaxed her brows and smiled, saying:
"I feel like I've almost fully recovered."
Haku gently placed the herbs aside and, with an elegant movement, sat beside Chizhao, speaking softly:
"That's good."
Immediately after, he intentionally or unintentionally leaned closer to Chizhao. A faint herbal scent filled the air between them, creating a warm and natural atmosphere.
Their close figures, to an outsider, looked like close female friends in their youth, sharing their thoughts and daily lives under the clear indoor light.
Haku's somewhat feminine attire seemed to embody all the most representative charms of women, making Chizhao naturally categorize their relationship as one with a same-sex friend.
She didn't mind his shoulder leaning against hers; the brief touch was fleeting, and she took the opportunity to start a conversation:
"Did you meet anyone else while gathering herbs today?"
Haku tidied the herb scraps on the table in front of him and replied:
"I met a yellow-haired boy from that squad. He looked very tired, as if he had been training all night, but he was also very interesting."
Putting her ninja tools into her bag, Chizhao imagined Naruto's appearance, a curve forming on her lips, and murmured knowingly:
"Naruto, huh? He's still the same, overly passionate."
Haku looked at her smile, recalling his encounter with Naruto in the forest earlier that day:
When he smiled and asked him if there was someone very important to him, Naruto's slightly tired, azure eyes suddenly sparkled, reflecting the morning light.
His voice was clear and bright, like a stream flowing as snow melted, joyfully celebrating the beauty of early spring.
"There's a girl named Chizhao, she's the most important person to me. Just like you said, I'll become strong for her, believe it!"
When Haku's gaze returned to the girl in front of him, a complex emotion inexplicably surged within him, threatening to engulf him, like a flood blocked in his heart with no outlet.
So, people who care about each other can't help but smile when they think of the other person.
A hint of loneliness overflowed from his brown eyes. His fingers tightened slightly, imagining if that smile were for him.
How happy he would be.
After putting away her ninja tools, seeing Haku still silent, Chizhao reached out to touch his cheek.
But in the next second, the electronic collar around her neck suddenly flashed with dazzling electric light. Her pupils abruptly constricted, and a stinging pain, accompanied by an electric current, shot through every corner of her body.
Chizhao clutched herself, painfully curling up on the ground and screaming. Haku, startled by the sight, drew out his steel needles, intending to destroy the tormenting electronic collar.
But Chizhao, struggling in pain on the ground, raised her hand to stop him.
Chizhao's voice came out in broken, difficult gasps from her throat: "Stop... Haku... I'm fine..."
She gritted her teeth, enduring the stinging pain brought by the electric current, as if she had been thrown into a meat grinder, endlessly repeating.
Haku frowned, watching Chizhao on the ground, trying to suppress her screams. Worry flickered in his usually calm eyes.
The electric current still surged uncontrollably through her cells. Chizhao endured, imagining Gato's sinister face, and her anger accumulated even more.
He must have done this to remind her because there hadn't been any progress these past few days.
That bastard....
After an unknown amount of time, the buzzing of the electricity suddenly stopped. After the pain of a thousand needle-pricks, Chizhao felt as if her body was a wrung-out rag, weakly collapsed on the ground, to the point where anyone could step on her.
But fortunately, by her side was the kind and beautiful Haku.
Haku immediately helped Chizhao up from the cold ground: "Chizhao, how are you feeling?"
Chizhao, whose consciousness was a bit hazy, slumped weakly against Haku. Her mind was blank, and her rapid breathing could not calm down for a long time.
The warmth from her neck made Haku's body subtly stiffen. The weight of her body was almost entirely on him, including the softness against his chest, causing his thoughts to suddenly intertwine like tangled threads.
"That... animal... Gato..."
Chizhao's gritted voice rang in his ears, and Haku's thoughts returned. His cheek unconsciously brushed against her hair. With a pained heart, he wrapped one arm around her waist and placed the other hand on the back of her head.
In a place Chizhao couldn't see, Haku's eyes seemed to be filled with ten thousand years of cold ice, staring straight ahead, accompanied by chilling killing intent. His voice was low:
"Don't worry, I'll kill him for you in a way more painful than this."
Chizhao exhaled, leaning against Haku's neck and shoulder. Her nose inadvertently caught a faint, fresh herbal scent, which brought a momentary relief to her throbbing head.
Carefully helped to lie down on the bed by Haku, Chizhao's pain also seemed to lessen a bit.
She slowly sank into the soft, cloud-like bed, turning to look at Haku, who was crouching by the bed, a worried expression inadvertently showing on his face. She instinctively reached out and gently smoothed his furrowed brow, saying softly:
"Haku, you don't look good when you frown."
The tenderness of her fingertips was like a spring breeze turning into rain, gently brushing over Haku's brow. His eyes trembled slightly, like a tranquil lake into which a petal had been gently dropped, stirring up layers of delicate and lasting ripples.
At this moment, he seemed to truly understand Chizhao's words: 'Face your feelings, don't treat yourself as a tool.'
He gazed at the girl in front of him, something surging and rushing into his heart.
The moment she withdrew her hand, Haku instinctively grasped her wrist. A warm sensation came from his palm, and his grip unconsciously tightened a bit.
Chizhao looked at Haku, who was dressed in a kimono, with a puzzled expression. From his serious demeanor, it seemed as if another kind of suppressed emotion was emanating from his palm.
Haku suddenly shed his gentle aura. His beautiful eyes were filled with firmness, and even the soft voice Chizhao had grown accustomed to now became a deep, youthful tone.
"You shouldn't always stir people's hearts like this, completely unaware."
"Huh?" Chizhao let out a short sound from her throat, blinking in confusion.
Haku's palm was placed in hers, and he leaned his face closer to hers, his expression utterly serious.
"Although I'm sorry for hiding it from you, I am a genuine male, you know."