Chapter 42 One Against Two?
Just as Sasuke was about to stab himself, Yoruha's gaze sharpened slightly.
He unleashed the Chakra inside him.
Boom.
A golden Chakra burst from Yoruha's body.
That terrifying power instantly blew away both Zabuza's and Kakashi's killing intent.
A moment ago, Sasuke and the others had been full of fear, but now it felt as though they had encountered blazing sunlight in the dead of winter. The murderous atmosphere instantly turned warm.
Sasuke, still gripping his Kunai, stopped what he was doing.
Coming back to himself, he looked at Yoruha, whose expression remained calm.
"This is... this is Yoruha's Chakra. His Chakra is so strong."
Until now, Yoruha had only shown taijutsu.
But the Chakra he had just released was so overwhelming that Sasuke's face was filled with shock.
Naruto and Sakura also recovered, though neither of them realized it was Yoruha who had driven away that bone-piercing killing intent.
Meanwhile, inside Naruto's body—
Within a dark cage, a gigantic red fox slowly opened its eyes.
"This familiar yet unfamiliar Chakra... is it that annoying guy?"
That fox was Kurama, sealed inside Naruto.
The moment Yoruha released his Chakra, Kurama sensed a familiar aura.
But it was also somewhat different.
Extremely sensitive to Chakra, Kurama grew solemn.
"If it really is that man, what does he want?"
Thinking back to when Hashirama had sealed him away, Kurama's expression darkened.
Yoruha's Chakra felt far too much like Hashirama's.
Though there were differences, both were filled with dense life force.
That kind of Chakra was exceedingly rare.
It had only ever appeared in Hashirama, Hagoromo, and Hagoromo's two sons.
Kurama had never let go of his resentment over being sealed by the First Hokage.
But after glancing at the seal currently binding him, Kurama shook his head, closed his eyes again, and went back to sleep.
Zabuza, hiding in the dark, was also stunned by Yoruha's burst of Chakra.
In that instant, he had felt an extremely heavy pressure.
It was the first time he had ever encountered Chakra like that.
Most importantly, Yoruha's Chakra was terrifyingly strong—strong enough to instantly scatter both his and Kakashi's killing intent.
Their killing intent had both been condensed from Chakra.
To disperse the Chakra of two Elite Jonin at once—just how intense did Yoruha's Chakra have to be?
"So this brat really isn't simple. Since Kakashi brought him into the fight, he must already acknowledge his strength."
Kakashi glanced at Yoruha.
He knew why Yoruha had released his Chakra.
The clash between his Chakra and Zabuza's had already put enormous pressure on Sasuke and the others.
If not for Yoruha, Sasuke might really have stabbed himself.
Still, Kakashi hadn't expected Yoruha's Chakra to have grown so much stronger.
"This guy really is a monster. Could it be because of what happened that night?"
Kakashi felt that maybe Yoruha's Chakra had increased because of the outburst that night.
But this rate of growth had already far exceeded Kakashi's expectations.
Yoruha looked toward Zabuza, hidden in the distant mist, and said, "Kakashi-sensei, you take the main attack. I'll support you from the side."
Kakashi turned to look at Yoruha. "You can see where he is?"
Yoruha nodded. "I can sense his Chakra."
Kakashi froze. "Sensory ability!"
Sensing Zabuza's Chakra was the ability of a sensory ninja.
Yoruha actually had sensory abilities, and he could even pinpoint Zabuza's position precisely.
That meant Yoruha's sensory talent was extremely powerful.
Zabuza had no idea that Yoruha had already found him.
But with no worries at his back, Kakashi naturally let loose and prepared to fight.
"He's on the lake."
Yoruha's voice was calm.
Kakashi gathered Chakra and looked toward the lake with his Sharingan.
In an instant, he spotted Zabuza standing on the water.
Zabuza still hadn't realized he'd been found, and had even created a Water Clone.
But Kakashi hadn't seen that.
Just as Kakashi was about to attack the Zabuza on the lake—
Zabuza suddenly appeared in front of Tazuna.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura failed to react in time.
As Zabuza swung the Executioner's Blade at Tazuna, the three of them tried to stop him, but their bodies would not move, and they were too late.
The killing intent of a Jonin like Zabuza was simply too heavy.
It had completely pinned them down.
Bang.
Slash.
In that split second, Zabuza stopped moving.
Tazuna was shoved away by a force, and Zabuza's arm holding the Executioner's Blade froze in midair.
Everyone focused their eyes and saw that Yoruha had appeared in front of Zabuza.
The Kunai in Yoruha's hand had already plunged into Zabuza's chest.
Yet there was not the slightest joy of having killed Zabuza on Yoruha's face. His expression remained calm.
A moment later, a large amount of water dripped from Zabuza's chest.
Not a single drop of blood.
Yoruha looked at Zabuza, not the least bit surprised.
Because this was Zabuza's Water Clone.
The next moment, the Water Clone dissolved into a puddle of clear water.
Sasuke and the other two, seated on the ground, stared blankly at the scene before them.
As Kakashi rushed toward the lake, he saw everything Yoruha had done.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "Nicely done, Yoruha."
The one who attacked Tazuna had only been Zabuza's Water Clone, but if left alone, Sasuke and the others would never have been able to deal with it.
If Yoruha hadn't stepped in, the Water Clone really would have killed Tazuna.
Tazuna, collapsed on the ground, also let out a breath of relief.
When Zabuza swung his blade just now, he had truly thought he was dead.
Watching Yoruha calmly put away his Kunai, Sasuke's face grew grave.
"How can the gap between us be this huge? If I can't even surpass Yoruha, how could I ever kill that bastard?"
"I have to become stronger. I have to become much stronger."
Naruto was stunned. He couldn't believe the gap between him and Yoruha was this large.
Back at the Ninja Academy, Yoruha had barely seemed noticeable.
They had only graduated recently.
So how had the gap become this huge all at once?
Naruto couldn't accept it.
Same age. Same recent graduation from the Ninja Academy.
Why was Yoruha so much stronger than him?
Sakura, meanwhile, only felt an overwhelming sense of security.
On the lake, Zabuza watched Yoruha instantly destroy his Water Clone, and couldn't help being surprised.
"How is that kid so strong? He should just be a genin, shouldn't he?"
"The combat experience and speed he showed just now were already at the level of a Jonin, weren't they?"
"Who exactly is that guy? Some genius cultivated by Konohagakure?"
Zabuza was deeply shaken by Yoruha's strength.
Originally, he had only needed to deal with Kakashi and three genin.
But now he had to face Kakashi, an Elite Jonin, and Yoruha, a ninja who absolutely possessed Jonin-level strength.
In other words, he was fighting one against two.