Chapter 38: Eagle Organization

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At the border of the Land of Waves, Kakashi raced through the terrain, using the Body Flicker Technique repeatedly to reach his destination as quickly as possible. His heart pounded with anxiety as he neared the woods, where Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata were casually having a picnic.

Relief washed over Kakashi as he saw them unharmed.

"Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata," Kakashi called out as he approached. "You're all safe?"

Sasuke looked up from his meal and said, "Kakashi-sensei, you're back. We're fine."

Kakashi, still cautious, asked, "You didn't encounter anyone suspicious?"

Sasuke responded nonchalantly, "Well, there was one odd guy with a massive sword. He called himself 'Demon Zabuza.'"

Kakashi's heart skipped a beat. "Zabuza?! The S-rank rogue ninja who tried to assassinate the Mizukage? You faced him, and nothing happened to you?"

Sasuke shrugged, "I defeated him. By the way, Kakashi-sensei, if Zabuza is an S-rank rogue, doesn't that mean this mission isn't just a simple C-rank?"

Kakashi nodded gravely. "You're right. When we return to the village, I'll have this mission upgraded to S-rank." He then gave Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata a proud thumbs up. "You did amazingly well, completing an S-rank mission as Genin! That's quite the achievement."

''Two Days Later''

In a dark, secluded bunker outside the Hidden Mist Village, Zabuza sharpened his beheading sword. Suddenly, the air around him warped, and Obito materialized in the bunker.

Sensing the space-time distortion, Zabuza swung his sword instinctively, but the blade passed harmlessly through Obito's body.

"Uchiha?" Zabuza muttered, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Obito spoke slowly, "Zabuza, come with me."

Without hesitation, Zabuza called out to Haku. Moments later, the three of them vanished from the bunker.

Back in Konoha, at the Uchiha clan compound, Uchiha Fugaku stared in bewilderment at Zabuza and Haku standing before him. He turned to Sasuke, his disbelief evident. "You're telling me that our Uchiha clan's intelligence and assassination organization just recruited a rogue ninja?"

Fugaku's mindset was rooted in tradition. The intelligence assassination group, known as the "Eagle Organization," was named by Sasuke.

Fugaku initially approved of the name, appreciating the symbolism of an eagle's sharp observation. However, Sasuke had chosen the name simply because it sounded cool.

Currently, the Eagle Organization had only one official member: Obito. He had flawlessly executed the assassination of Danzo and disposed of the body. Uchiha Kento had also wanted to join, but Sasuke had different ideas.

He envisioned the Eagle Organization as an elite group, akin to the Akatsuki, comprised only of those with the strength of an S-rank rogue ninja.

Obito's power far exceeded that standard. Zabuza, although defeated by Kakashi in the original timeline, was still strong enough to meet the criteria for membership.

With Zabuza now part of the group, the Eagle Organization had its second member: The Demon of the Mist, Momochi Zabuza.

Sasuke eyed Zabuza's tattered clothes with a hint of amusement. "Zabuza, you always wear those ragged clothes. Aren't you worried Haku won't like it?"

Zabuza instinctively glanced at Haku, gripping his sword tighter. "Keep talking, and I'll kill you," he growled.

Sasuke chuckled, noticing the nervousness behind Zabuza's cold demeanor. Despite Haku being a boy, his beauty was undeniable, and it was clear that Zabuza harbored deeper feelings.

Sasuke couldn't help but playfully think that the original story revealed Haku's gender, but it never explicitly stated Zabuza's.

Sasuke continued teasingly, "You can't beat me, Zabuza. I'm your employer now."

He handed Zabuza a navy blue robe, suitable for his new role. The robe bore the Uchiha clan's emblem on the back, adding a touch of formality to Zabuza's appearance.

Observing Zabuza's missing arm, Sasuke asked, "You're used to wielding your sword with both hands. How are you managing with just one? Do you want me to arrange for a replacement arm?"

Zabuza replied coldly, "One hand is enough."

Without another word, Zabuza turned to leave.

"Hey," Sasuke called after him, "where are you going? If you leave the Uchiha compound like this, aren't you just asking to be spotted by the Anbu?"

Zabuza hesitated, clearly caught off guard.

Sasuke sighed. "You and Haku should stay here in the Uchiha compound for now. I'll make sure you're well-fed and comfortable. I'll also pay you 500,000 ryo each month. If I need your help with something, I'll find you."

With Zabuza and Haku's addition, the Eagle Organization now had two members: Obito and Zabuza.

Interestingly, Itachi had expressed interest in joining, but Sasuke had turned him down. As a prominent member of the Uchiha clan, Itachi's involvement would have drawn too much attention.

What Sasuke needed were operatives whose ties to the Uchiha clan were unknown, yet who possessed formidable power.

''Two Days Later''

Hinata arrived at the Uchiha compound, her usual shyness evident in the way she hesitated at the gate. Uchiha Izumi, who was on guard duty, couldn't resist ruffling Hinata's hair. Izumi suddenly realized how much Hinata had grown—her head now reached Izumi's chest.

"Are you here to see Sasuke?" Izumi asked with a warm smile.

Hinata blushed deeply, nodding. "Y-Yes. Is Sasuke-kun here?"

Izumi chuckled, "He is. I'll take you to him."

Izumi led Hinata to the entrance of Sasuke's courtyard, where they found Sasuke and Itachi sparring intensely. Neither brother was using ninjutsu or their Sharingan abilities. Instead, they focused purely on taijutsu, testing their physical skills.

After ten rounds, Sasuke and Itachi were evenly matched. After fifty, Sasuke began to fall behind. By the two-hundredth round, Itachi managed to knock Sasuke to the ground with a solid punch. However, Itachi was also breathing heavily, clearly exhausted.

"Itachi-san, Sasuke-kun's taijutsu is already very strong, but he could still improve," Hinata thought to herself as she watched the sparring.

Itachi, catching his breath, said to Sasuke, "You've improved a lot, Sasuke. But you still have room to grow. I'll find you a teacher to help with that."

Sasuke, still catching his breath, replied, "Why can't you be my teacher?"

Itachi smiled and tapped Sasuke's forehead gently. "You've already surpassed what I can teach you. Once you start mastering Lightning Release techniques, you'll surpass me in that area too."

Sasuke grinned, grateful for his brother's guidance but eager to continue his growth as a ninja.