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Right now, Zabuza truly felt that his luck had taken a turn for the worse.
He had only come to the Land of Waves in search of a new job. Who could have expected that he would run headfirst into a group from Konoha?
And not just any group, either. Among them were the Copy Ninja, one of the legendary Sannin, and a young boy whose name was unknown but who was, in all likelihood, one of Konoha's most promising prodigies.
At first, he hadn't thought the situation would be too difficult to handle. After all, he was already a missing-nin from the Hidden Mist. Danger was a part of his daily life. But he had never imagined he would walk straight into the lion's den like this.
"This is bad. Really bad."
A bitter curse echoed in Zabuza's heart as he swiftly assessed the situation before him. Engaging in combat against both Kakashi and Jiraiya at once would be a tremendous challenge.
Had it been a one-on-one fight, he would have welcomed the chance to test his skills against the famed Sharingan Kakashi or even against Jiraiya of the Sannin. He might not have won, but the fight itself would have been worthwhile.
But two against one?
"No. The breakthrough lies in that brat."
He dared not hope for too much from a direct confrontation. What he could do was hold them off as best he could and rely on Haku to seize the boy.
"Ninjutsu: Hidden Mist Technique!"
Having made up his mind, Zabuza acted without hesitation. In a low voice, he turned to the silent figure beside him.
"Take that kid. Use everything you have and capture him as quickly as possible."
He placed complete trust in Haku. At the very least, among those of the same age, there were few who could rival his strength.
"Yes."
Though his face remained composed, a trace of solemnity flashed through Haku's eyes. This sudden outbreak of battle had unsettled even him.
But he would never disobey Zabuza's orders. In the blink of an eye, chakra began surging through his body.
"The Hidden Mist Technique, huh? Truly…"
Jiraiya's lips tightened slightly as he observed the dense fog curling through the air. This, after all, was a signature move of the Hidden Mist.
Yet neither he nor Kakashi showed any intention of stopping it.
They would soon be heading to the Land of Water, where the terrain would be far more treacherous than this. Letting Kitagawa Gen get used to fighting in such conditions ahead of time might not be a bad thing.
"I'll take Zabuza with Kakashi. You handle the girl beside him. Think you can manage?"
Jiraiya's voice was low. Kitagawa Gen nodded in reply, but added a quiet correction.
"I think that's a guy…"
"…What?"
"Flat chest."
"…"
Jiraiya had no interest in continuing this conversation with Kitagawa Gen. The fog was thickening by the second, and his expression grew more serious.
In a battle between shinobi, even the slightest misstep could mean death. And here, in the mist-laden Land of Waves, with its endless moisture hanging in the air, they were up against a Hidden Mist elite—someone born and raised in this very terrain.
The Mist ninja, raised in a land shrouded year-round in heavy fog and encircled by sea, had long since become experts in water-style jutsu. They didn't just use the mist for concealment. They had learned to fight with it, to move with it, to vanish and strike like shadows within it.
In such an environment, their combat strength would be amplified dramatically—sometimes even monstrously!
Even the Kakashi of the future had nearly been overwhelmed when he first faced Zabuza under these very conditions.
"I'll use Wind Release to clear the fog. You locate him quickly and try to take him down as soon as possible."
"Understood."
After a brief exchange with Kakashi, Jiraiya immediately formed hand seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A howling gust swept outward, stirring the heavy mist and blowing open a brief window of clarity.
Kakashi had already prepared himself. His Sharingan glowed with a crimson light as he locked eyes on a hidden presence.
"There!"
Leaping high into the air, Kakashi sprang toward the shadow cloaked within the mist. Jiraiya followed instantly, flanking Zabuza from the other side. One to the left, one to the right—they closed in together.
CLANG—!
In a flash, the clash of metal rang out like a sharp cry. The roar of ninjutsu echoed through the haze as their fierce battle erupted within the fog.
"Lord Zabuza…"
Anxiously, Haku whispered beneath his breath. But he did not forget the task he had been given. His gaze fixed on Kitagawa Gen in the distance. He bit down gently on his lip and launched forward without a moment's hesitation.
His movements were swift—faster than the eye could follow. In the blink of an eye, he became a blur and reappeared right before Gen.
"So fast…"
Gen had been watching closely. The instant Haku closed in, a surge of purple light burst from his body.
CLING—!
A crisp sound rang through the mist as his blade flashed into view. In a single fluid motion, the White Fang's short blade leapt from its sheath. Wrapped in crackling purple lightning, it sliced through the air with blinding speed.
"What?!"
The steel senbon Haku had hurled was cleanly severed, cleaved apart in an instant by Gen's blade.
"Such power... is his offense really this overwhelming?"
Though still young, Haku belonged to the Yuki clan, whose members were born with a natural affinity for Ice Release. Combined with the relentless and brutal training he had undergone under Zabuza's tutelage, Haku possessed strength far beyond what his age might suggest. Though he loathed killing, his ability was terrifying in its own right.
Yet never before had he faced an opponent capable of shattering all his senbon in a single stroke.
A sharp whistle cut through the air!
Startled, Haku froze for the briefest moment. But Gen showed no mercy. He had come to force out the Ice Release—and he had no intention of holding back.
Crackling sounds sizzled through the mist!
The short blade, infused with purple lightning, swept out again and again in relentless arcs. The thunderous energy surrounding it forced Haku into a desperate retreat, leaping and twisting to evade each blow.
But no matter how quickly he moved, how agilely he dodged, the blade still grazed him. Sparks of purple lightning kissed his skin, and thin lines of crimson began to trace across his pale body, blood slowly seeping out.
"He's too fast… and his swordsmanship—it's terrifying. But the most dangerous thing is that purple lightning… it's like a blade all on its own."
Haku's thoughts raced as he barely kept pace. When he saw Gen close in again, he swiftly formed a seal with one hand.
"Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death!"
With a surge of chakra, the surrounding mist coalesced. Water vapor condensed in an instant and transformed into countless glistening needles, which rained down from above like a deadly storm.
"Is that all you've got?"
A faint smirk curled at the corners of Gen's lips as he raised his short blade, which danced in his grasp like a series of dazzling sword flourishes.
Brilliant arcs of light unfurled as he spun the blade, striking down every water-formed senbon with crisp, resonating clashes. Each impact sent droplets scattering through the air.
In the next moment, he pressed forward, and another sword strike flashed!
Haku reacted with lightning speed, narrowly dodging the incoming slash, but he could not avoid the follow-up.
A heavy kick crashed into his abdomen.
BAAANG—!
Haku's body was sent hurtling backward, yet in midair he twisted and flipped, landing in a crouch and skidding across the damp ground before managing to steady himself.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
But Gen wasn't finished. Mirroring Haku's earlier motion, he pressed his fingers together into a single seal.
BOOOOM—!
From Gen's mouth burst forth a dragon-shaped torrent of flame, its maw wide as it roared through the mist, heading straight for Haku. The sheer heat distorted the air around it. Even the ever-present fog began to dissolve, burned away by the searing wind.
"This intensity..."
Haku's heart clenched as he felt the wave of heat. He gritted his teeth, then summoned the cold within him.
A frigid chakra surged through his core, spilling into the surrounding mist.
The fog trembled. And then, slowly, frost began to bloom—delicate at first, then rapidly spreading, until the very air itself seemed to freeze.
"Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome of Magnificent Nothingness!"
A thick dome of ice surged up to block the flaming dragon, halting it before it could reach him. Fire met frost, and steam hissed between the two forces. Haku didn't wait.
He formed another seal, eyes shining with resolve.
"Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!"
In an instant, the battlefield transformed.
Countless crystalline mirrors of ice erupted around Gen, encircling him from all sides. Each shimmered with deadly beauty, reflecting not only his image but also an overwhelming sense of entrapment.
It was as if the very space around him had become a sealed domain—a world of cold, gleaming death.
"So this is Ice Release..."
Gen studied the mirror-clad prison, his brow lifting slightly with interest. And just then, Haku's voice echoed through the ice.
"I don't want to fight you. Truly. But you've gone too far. For the sake of Lord Zabuza... I have no choice but to give it everything I've got. Forgive me."
His words were quiet, yet heavy with determination.
From within one of the mirrors, Haku raised his arm. Senbon gleamed between his fingers.
The next moment, an overwhelming barrage rained down.
Countless senbon shot forth from every angle, filling every inch of the frozen domain.
And yet, amidst that impending doom, Kitagawa Gen chuckled.
Softly, without fear, he raised his eyes toward the mirror that concealed Haku and spoke in a low voice.
"No need to apologize. On the contrary... I should be thanking you."
"Because you've just done me a great favor."
The final word had barely left his lips when the purple lightning around him exploded outward.
It roared like thunder and surged like a tide, sweeping across the entire frozen realm in a blinding flash of purple light.
Even Zabuza, who at that moment was being pressed down by both Jiraiya and Kakashi in a brutal clash, suddenly stiffened. His instincts screamed—something was very wrong.
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[Chapter End's]
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