Team 7, along with Tazuna, quietly traveled through an underground water tunnel.
They had successfully bypassed Gato's blockade and entered the Land of Waves.
Tazuna carefully docked the boat at a small pier, preparing to disembark and continue on foot.
His home was still quite a distance away.
They needed to remain alert on the road ahead.
There could be danger at any moment.
Kakashi led the way at the front, Tazuna stayed in the middle, and Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura covered the rear.
They moved cautiously through the forest path, heading toward Tazuna's house.
But just then—
Kakashi suddenly sensed a sharp gust of wind approaching at high speed.
"Get down!" he shouted.
Sasuke and Sakura immediately hit the ground, pulling Tazuna down with them.
Naruto also crouched low.
A massive broadsword came whirling through the air and embedded itself into a nearby tree with a heavy thud.
It pierced deep into the trunk, the blade trembling from the force.
If they hadn't reacted in time, Sasuke and the others would have been killed instantly.
Of course, for Naruto—
His body was far tougher than steel.
Even if the blade had struck him directly, it would've only made a clang, not leaving so much as a scratch.
But there was no doubt now.
The wielder of the massive blade had arrived.
It was the Executioner's Blade—the infamous weapon of Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist.
He stood atop the embedded blade, his back facing them, then slowly turned his head, a cruel smile on his lips.
Kakashi recognized him immediately.
"So it's you… Zabuza, the rogue ninja from Kirigakure," Kakashi said calmly.
Zabuza gave a cold snort. "No wonder I ran into Sharingan Kakashi."
He hadn't expected the Demon Brothers to win, but to face the Copy Ninja himself?
That was another level entirely.
"Sharingan?!" Sasuke's eyes widened. That was a name he had heard before.
Why did Kakashi-sensei, someone not from the Uchiha clan, have a Sharingan?
Sakura, too, was confused and full of questions.
Kakashi didn't answer.
He kept his eyes locked on Zabuza.
Then, with a deliberate movement, he reached up and pulled up his forehead protector—
Revealing a blood-red eye with three tomoe.
The Sharingan.
("This might be a tough one,") Kakashi thought, his expression growing serious.
Zabuza wasn't just any ninja.
He was a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
A true monster.
"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura—protect Tazuna."
"It's time to show how well you can work together."
Kakashi gave the command without turning around.
His gaze remained fixed on Zabuza.
Then he said solemnly, "Zabuza… your opponent is me."
Zabuza grinned as Kakashi revealed the Sharingan.
"Well, well… I didn't think I'd get to meet the real Sharingan Kakashi in person."
"What an honor."
Sasuke's eyes were fixed on the red eye.
That was the Sharingan—real and undeniable.
("What's going on? He's not from the Uchiha clan… So how does he have the Sharingan?")
Sasuke's heart was in turmoil.
Meanwhile, Zabuza's attention shifted to Tazuna.
That old man was his target.
But looking at Kakashi's stance, he knew he'd have to get through him first.
"Tch. Enough with the chit-chat," Zabuza said, voice low and dangerous.
"I've got a deadline to kill that old man behind you."
Tazuna froze in fear.
Kakashi's expression hardened.
Then, with a faint sound, Zabuza and his massive blade vanished.
"Gone?!" Sakura gasped, eyes scanning the surroundings.
Sasuke immediately searched the area—and spotted him.
"There!" he shouted, pointing toward the surface of the nearby river.
Zabuza was standing calmly on the water.
Then, forming a one-handed seal, he raised his other hand to the sky and gathered a surge of chakra.
"Ninjutsu: Hidden Mist Technique!"
As he finished speaking, a thick mist began to rise, rapidly blanketing the area.
Suddenly, a dense mist spread across the water, rolling outward like a living thing.
Within moments, the thick fog engulfed the entire area, swallowing up the surroundings. Visibility dropped to barely a meter or two—beyond that, there was only impenetrable white.
Seeing this, Kakashi spoke calmly to his team:
"He'll come for me first."
"Zabuza Momochi... back when he was still with the Hidden Mist, he was feared for his Silent Killing technique."
"With this much fog, even my Sharingan's effectiveness is limited. Stay sharp. Don't let your guard down."
Just then—
A chilling voice echoed from within the mist, eerie and omnipresent.
"Eight points—throat, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, subclavian artery…"
"Kidneys. Heart."
"Tell me... which one should I go for?"
Zabuza's voice cut through the fog like a blade. It sounded as if he were everywhere—and nowhere. Behind them? In front of them? They couldn't tell.
All they could see was mist.
Sasuke and Sakura tensed, their bodies stiff with fear. They had only just graduated from the Academy. This was their first real mission—one where their lives hung in the balance.
The killing intent radiating from Zabuza, a seasoned Jōnin assassin, blanketed the forest like a suffocating pressure.
Sasuke's breath caught in his throat. His muscles locked up. Even turning his gaze felt dangerous. This... this was what it felt like to be prey. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
Am I going to die here...?
The fear was unbearable.
Sakura, too, was pale and trembling, her eyes darting uselessly in the mist.
Kakashi, watching them, immediately sensed their state.
He glanced back and offered a small, confident smile.
"Don't worry," he said softly.
"I'll protect you."
"I won't let any of my comrades die."
As he spoke, he noticed something odd—something unexpected.
Naruto.
Unlike Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto was calm.
No—too calm.
He stood behind the others, his eyes alert, expression focused.
His composure... it's far beyond a genin's. Far beyond normal.
In the depths of the mist, Naruto's heightened instincts kicked in. His mind was sharp, clear—he could feel Zabuza's presence, no matter how well hidden he was. To him, the Mist's Silent Killing technique was like a parlor trick.
And then—it happened.
In a flicker, Zabuza materialized from the fog, right in front of them.
The massive blade of the Kubikiribōchō—the Executioner's Blade—loomed over them.
One clean swing would cut through Sasuke, Sakura, Tazuna, and even Naruto.
Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna froze as Zabuza appeared like a ghost from the haze.
"So this is the end..."
Zabuza muttered, raising his blade for a killing blow.
But—
Without anyone noticing, Naruto had already moved.
He stepped in front of Tazuna and appeared beside Zabuza in an instant.
Just as the Executioner's Blade came crashing down—
Clang!
Naruto raised a single kunai and blocked it head-on. Sparks flew as steel met steel.
"What!?"
Zabuza's eyes widened in disbelief.
A mere genin had stopped his swing?
Impossible!
Kakashi brought a bunch of rookies... and one of them blocked the Executioner's Blade?
Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna all let out the breath they were holding.
Kakashi's expression softened slightly.
He blocked it... impressive.
Though Naruto's sudden move disrupted Kakashi's initial strategy—he had planned to use a water clone to counter—there was no denying the relief in seeing Zabuza's attack deflected.
Kakashi's eye narrowed behind his headband.
At that moment, as Naruto blocked the swing of the Kubikiribōchō, Kakashi was reminded of something—
During the bell test, Naruto had already shown remarkable strength and determination. Blocking this legendary sword now didn't seem all that strange anymore.
But Zabuza didn't know that.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
His attack had been stopped—by a kid.
He gritted his teeth. "You little brat…"
"Go to hell!!!"
Zabuza roared, pouring more strength into his swing as he slashed again at Naruto with the massive Kubikiribōchō.
But Naruto only smiled.
He tightened his grip on the kunai in his hand and met Zabuza's attack head-on.
Sparks flew as steel met steel, the weapons grinding together with a shrill screech.
And yet—Zabuza couldn't overpower him.
On the contrary, Naruto's sheer force was pushing him back.
Step by step.
Until finally—Clang!
Zabuza was knocked back, forced to disengage as Naruto's kunai deflected the sword.
With a burst of movement, Zabuza flipped back several meters, widening the distance between himself and Naruto—between himself and Kakashi.
He landed with a frown.
He couldn't believe it.
The Demon of the Hidden Mist—pushed back… by a genin?
Kakashi's eyes narrowed, but his voice was calm. "Nice job, Naruto."
Naruto gave a nod in return.
With Naruto guarding Tazuna, Kakashi could now focus entirely on taking down Zabuza.
And it wasn't just Naruto—Sasuke and Sakura could handle things too.
Sasuke, watching this unfold, clenched his fists. Naruto was ahead again.
I won't fall behind!
A new fire lit in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Zabuza's gaze moved between Naruto and Kakashi. He quickly realized—killing the bridge builder wouldn't be easy with that blond brat watching over him.
And with Sharingan Kakashi in the picture…
Things had become troublesome.
So, he made a decision.
Forget the genin—Kakashi was the real threat.
Raising his sword with one hand, Zabuza charged straight at him.
Kakashi saw the intent immediately.
The real fight was about to begin.
Without a word, both of them moved—swift, deadly, and without hesitation.
Swish!
Their figures clashed in a flash.
Kubikiribōchō met kunai.
Steel rang out as they exchanged blow after blow, locked in a fierce contest of taijutsu.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each strike rang like thunder.
They were evenly matched.
But with the Sharingan, Kakashi's eyes were reading every move, every twitch of muscle.
Zabuza's strikes—his speed, his angles—they were all exposed.
Kakashi countered with flawless precision.
He suppressed the Demon of the Hidden Mist with nothing more than a kunai.
Sensing the disadvantage, Zabuza leapt back toward the lake, where he had the upper hand.
There, he gathered chakra.
His hands flew through a complex series of seals.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
With a roar, a massive dragon made entirely of water surged up from the lake, twisting and roaring toward Kakashi.
But Zabuza had forgotten—
Kakashi wasn't called the Copy Ninja for nothing.
Matching Zabuza's seals step for step with perfect timing, Kakashi mirrored the jutsu.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
Two roaring dragons of water collided mid-air.
BOOM!
They canceled each other out in a titanic explosion of spray and sound.
Water crashed in waves across the lake, flooding the shore.
Zabuza frowned but didn't hesitate. He darted forward again, resuming his assault with taijutsu.
Kakashi met him head-on once more.
Fists, feet, and steel clashed again.
But when taijutsu proved ineffective, Zabuza fell back on what he did best—ninjutsu.
He quickly formed another set of hand seals.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
A towering wave erupted, crashing toward Kakashi.
But again, Kakashi was right behind him.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Their attacks collided once more.
Wave against wave.
Force against force.
Another colossal impact rocked the battlefield.
Zabuza stood atop the surging water, drenched but unfazed.
Kakashi mirrored him, unmoving.
They locked eyes.
Zabuza couldn't help but feel deeply troubled.
As expected of the man known as the Copy Ninja—Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan.
This guy could replicate his jutsu and movements perfectly.
Defeating Kakashi was clearly not something that could be done quickly.
But Zabuza didn't have the luxury of time.
The longer the fight dragged on, the more chakra he burned.
And Kakashi wasn't alone—three Genin were standing by his side.
Though Zabuza was confident that even without chakra, a few rookies couldn't pose a real threat…
He still remembered the force behind Naruto's earlier block.
Zabuza didn't want to be on the receiving end of something like that again.
More importantly, if he could just eliminate that old man—Tazuna—there'd be no need to fight Kakashi at all.
After all…
His mission wasn't to kill Sharingan Kakashi, the elite of Konoha.
With that in mind, Zabuza abandoned the idea of continuing his clash with Kakashi. Taking advantage of the water turbulence from their jutsu, he crafted a Water Clone Jutsu and left it behind to keep Kakashi occupied.
The real Zabuza melted into the mist, activating Hidden Mist Jutsu once more, and moved silently toward Tazuna, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
The next moment, Kakashi engaged the water clone, unaware of the switch.
Meanwhile, the real Zabuza crept closer—ready to strike from the fog.
But just as he made his move, Naruto's eyes narrowed. He had already seen through it.
At that moment—
Naruto shook his head and sighed.
"You and Kakashi were having a decent fight. Now I have to get involved."
He suddenly said, "Sasuke, Sakura, guard the old man. He's coming."
Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna all flinched at Naruto's sudden warning.
What was that supposed to mean?
Wasn't Zabuza still fighting Kakashi-sensei?
Naruto didn't bother explaining.
He swiftly pulled three shuriken from his pouch and flicked them into the fog.
At first glance, they seemed randomly thrown.
But in reality, they flew precisely toward the direction Zabuza was approaching from—using the mist as cover.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The sound of high-speed projectiles sliced through the fog.
Zabuza's eyes widened.
He had clearly heard the incoming shuriken.
He hadn't expected this.
Someone had seen through his Hidden Mist Technique?!
Even Kakashi with his Sharingan couldn't track his movements so clearly within the fog…
Following the path of the spinning shuriken, Sasuke and the others finally caught sight of Zabuza—his figure exposed as the swirling projectiles tore through the mist.
...
TN:
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