Shiro didn't even bother wasting words on them.
Because he had utilized the shortcut marked on Kabuto's map, Shiro arrived near the Land of Waves significantly faster than Kakashi's team, who were burdened with escorting the bridge builder.
"Big brother, do you really think Konoha ninja will come this way?"
On a secluded dirt road leading toward the coast, two figures lurked in the muddy shadows of a roadside puddle.
These were the Demon Brothers, Gozu and Meizu. They had received strict orders from Zabuza Momochi to intercept and eliminate any Konoha reinforcements attempting to reach the Land of Waves.
"Quiet. Lord Zabuza confirmed that the old bridge builder went to Konoha to hire protection. They have to pass through here," Gozu hissed.
"Big brother! Someone's coming!" Meizu whispered urgently.
Sure enough, a lone figure wearing a Konoha forehead protector strolled casually down the path.
It was Shiro.
"It seems I'm quite a bit ahead of Kakashi's group," Shiro mused, glancing around the quiet forest road. His eyes flicked briefly to a seemingly innocuous puddle of water sitting on the dry path.
He immediately understood the situation.
"Come out," Shiro said indifferently, stopping in his tracks.
Realizing their ambush was compromised, the Demon Brothers didn't bother maintaining the charade. After all, when an enemy stops right in front of your trap and calls you out, the element of surprise is gone.
*Splash!*
Two figures erupted from the puddle, water spraying everywhere as they landed on the road, their gauntlets connected by a long, razor-sharp chain.
"Hehehehe... I didn't expect the Konoha brat to be sharp enough to see through our camouflage," Gozu sneered, his voice muffled by his gas mask.
"Unfortunately for you, kid, your journey ends here!" Meizu cackled, readying his clawed gauntlet.
Looking at the two hideous brothers in their mismatched gear, Shiro sighed. He recognized them instantly as Zabuza's lackeys—the Demon Brothers of the Hidden Mist.
"Get him!"
With a synchronized shout, the brothers uncoiled their chain and sprinted in opposite directions, intending to shred Shiro with their signature high-speed chain attack.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Shiro casually brought his hands together, weaving a single, symbolic seal. He figured he should stick to the classics for these Mist ninja.
However, when the Demon Brothers saw Shiro start a hand seal, they burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Big brother, look! The kid is so scared he's panicking!" Meizu mocked.
"Trying to use a high-level Water Style against us? Fool!" Gozu laughed.
In the Demon Brothers' professional understanding, a B-rank ninjutsu like the *Water Dragon Bullet* required a notoriously long sequence of 44 hand seals to activate.
In the shinobi world, most water-style users secretly wanted to curse the Second Hokage. Why did the man invent such absurdly complicated seal sequences for his jutsu?
44 hand seals!
In a high-speed lethal encounter, 44 seals was an eternity. Sometimes, a ninja's entire lifespan on the battlefield wasn't even that long! Even Zabuza, renowned for his blindingly fast seal weaving, could only manage about four seals per second. That meant the *Water Dragon Bullet* still required a minimum of 11 seconds of uninterrupted vulnerability.
Against their chain attack? The kid would be diced into pieces before he hit the tenth seal.
However, what the Demon Brothers failed to anticipate was reality.
Shiro's face showed absolutely no panic. In fact, he looked bored.
After weaving a single seal, the air around him suddenly grew heavy and damp.
*ROAR!*
In the blink of an eye, a massive, swirling dragon composed of pure, high-pressure water materialized out of thin air above Shiro. It was dozens of feet long, its roaring maw poised to strike.
The sheer pressure radiating from the construct made the Demon Brothers freeze in their tracks, feeling like ants beneath a tidal wave.
"T-This... this is the Water Dragon Bullet?!" Gozu stuttered, his eyes bulging behind his mask.
Shiro hadn't even utilized a nearby water source.
Normal ninja, even Jonin, usually required an existing body of water to perform this technique efficiently. To conjure a water dragon of this colossal magnitude entirely from one's own chakra... the consumption would be astronomical!
*Is this kid a Tailed Beast in human form?!*
Unfortunately, they didn't have time to ponder the logistics.
"Crush them."
*BOOM!*
The massive water dragon crashed down with the force of a falling building. The impact sent a shockwave tearing through the forest, obliterating trees and gouging a deep crater into the earth where the Demon Brothers had stood.
"That should do it," Shiro murmured, dusting off his hands.
If you don't have the strength to back it up, don't try to rob people on the highway.
---
Meanwhile, further down the road, Team 7 was startled by the sudden, earth-shaking explosion.
"Everyone, on guard!" Kakashi ordered sharply, his hand instantly going to his kunai pouch.
He led his team cautiously toward the source of the disturbance. When they broke through the tree line, they stopped dead in their tracks.
"What... happened here?"
Kakashi stared at the massive, flooded crater that had reshaped the landscape. His mind went blank for a moment. This level of destruction... was there a high-level battle here?
"Shiro!" Sakura suddenly shouted, pointing ahead.
Standing calmly at the edge of the crater was a familiar figure.
"It really is Shiro!" Naruto yelled, waving his arms.
"No need to be so tense, everyone. I just dealt with two Chunin who were blocking the road," Shiro said calmly, turning to face the shocked group.
"Dealt with... two Chunin?"
Kakashi looked from the boy to the devastated landscape. *You're telling me you unleashed this level of catastrophic power just to kill two Chunin?*
How much chakra did that waste? Kakashi, who famously struggled with low reserves, couldn't even fathom using such a high-cost jutsu so casually.
*Just how strong is Shiro now?* Kakashi wondered, feeling a chill. He honestly wasn't sure if he could withstand a single serious attack from his former student. That water dragon hit with the force of a Tailed Beast Ball.
Shiro briefly explained his separate mission objective to the group.
"Wait! Since we're all heading to the Land of Waves, doesn't that mean Shiro can travel with us?!" Sakura asked, her eyes lighting up with hope.
"That's a great idea!" Naruto agreed enthusiastically. Even Sasuke looked interested.
"No thanks. You guys are too slow," Shiro rejected the offer instantly.
It was much more convenient for him to act alone. Why would he shackle himself to a slow-moving escort mission?
---
"Uh..."
Sakura and the others didn't expect Shiro to refuse so decisively. They stood there, stunned by the blunt rejection.
After a moment of contemplation, Kakashi nodded. "Shiro is right. If you always rely on him to solve your problems, you will never grow as ninja."
Kakashi's words struck a chord.
"He's right," Sasuke muttered, clenching his fist. "True strength comes from overcoming challenges yourself."
Kakashi smiled beneath his mask, pleased to see his students' fighting spirit rekindled rather than dampened. Most people who encountered Shiro were simply crushed by the gap in ability, but Team 7 was resilient.
However, Shiro was oblivious to their internal monologues. He was currently focused on quickly reaching the Land of Waves to complete his objective.
After parting ways with Team 7, Shiro moved at high speed and quickly arrived at the coast bordering the Land of Waves.
"One can only say that this small neighbor of the Fire Nation is truly destitute," Shiro observed. Along the road, he saw only dilapidated wooden shacks and deserted villages.
It seemed that Gato was indeed squeezing the life out of this country. That meant the man's coffers were definitely full.
"Boatman, I need passage to the main island of the Land of Waves," Shiro said, approaching a group of fishermen by the docks.
"Uh... Lord Ninja..." The lead boatman looked terrified, wringing his hands. "I... we can't take anyone across!"
"Oh? And why is that?" Shiro asked curiously. It was rare to see people refusing money.
The boatmen began to lament their situation. Gato had established a strict blockade, threatening to drown anyone who transported unauthorized passengers.
"Hmph. How audacious," Shiro scoffed. A mere business tycoon acting like a feudal lord?
"Kid, if you're desperate, I can give you a ride," a raspy voice called out from the side. "But the price has to be right."
Shiro turned to see a tall, imposing stranger with bandages wrapped around the lower half of his face. A massive, bandaged object was strapped to his back.
The local boatmen scrambled away in fear as the stranger approached.
"Of course," Shiro smiled, his eyes gleaming. "Two lives... does that price sound suitable to you?"
__________________________
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