Chapter 13 – The Demon of the Mist
Naruto arrived at the gates of Konoha early in the morning and immediately spotted Sakura waiting near the entrance. The cool breeze of dawn brushed past the village walls as travelers slowly moved in and out of the gate. Naruto raised his hand and waved casually as he walked toward her.
"Hey Sakura, you came early," Naruto said with a relaxed smile.
Sakura smiled warmly and adjusted the small pack on her back. The excitement on her face was obvious as she glanced toward the road leading outside the village.
"It's my first time leaving the village after all."
Naruto grinned confidently and placed his hands behind his head as he looked toward the forest road ahead. He spoke with his usual carefree tone, but there was sincerity in his voice.
"Don't worry, it'll be fun. And if you end up in danger, I'll protect you."
Sakura's cheeks turned slightly pink at his words, and she quickly looked away to hide it. Before she could say anything, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Tazuna arrived at the gate. Tazuna still looked half-asleep, carrying his bottle and scratching his beard.
Kakashi glanced at the group and lazily lifted a hand in greeting. His visible eye curved slightly as he looked over his team.
"Alright, since everyone is here, let's go."
He walked toward the gate guards to register their departure while the others waited by the road. After a brief exchange with the guards, Kakashi returned and the group officially left Konoha behind.
The first few days of travel were slower than usual for a team of ninja. Because of Tazuna, they couldn't move at shinobi speed and had to walk at a normal pace along the forest roads.
Naruto ended up handling most of the hunting and cooking during the journey. With his abilities it was easy for him to catch animals and prepare proper meals for everyone.
Sasuke and Sakura took care of setting up the campsite each night and placing simple traps around the area for safety. The two worked efficiently without unnecessary arguments.
Kakashi watched everything quietly from the side.
Good teamwork, he thought as he observed them working together smoothly.
Because Naruto is stronger, Sasuke listens to him without constant rivalry. And Sakura doesn't fangirl anymore. She listens carefully whenever Naruto gives instructions.
A small smile appeared under Kakashi's mask.
This team is developing much better than I expected.
As they continued traveling toward the Land of Waves, Tazuna slowly started becoming more nervous. His eyes kept scanning the road and the trees around them.
Kakashi noticed the behavior immediately.
Naruto noticed it too.
Neither of them said anything.
Naruto already knew what was coming.
Zabuza Momochi… the Demon of the Mist, Naruto thought calmly.
After several hours of walking along a forest road, Naruto briefly activated his Six Eyes. The world around him sharpened instantly as chakra signatures appeared clearly in his vision.
Up ahead, inside a water puddle on the road, two chakra signatures were hiding.
Both were around peak genin level.
Naruto raised his hand casually.
"Sensei, I want to take a short bathroom break."
Kakashi blinked once but nodded without suspicion.
"Don't take too long."
Naruto quickly ran into the nearby forest.
After moving far enough away from the road, he stopped and pressed his palm against the ground. A fuinjutsu barrier spread beneath his feet, instantly concealing his chakra completely.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
A clone appeared beside him in a puff of smoke.
The clone nodded once toward Naruto and immediately ran toward the Land of Waves. Naruto removed the concealment seal and calmly returned to the road where his team was waiting.
Team 7 soon continued their journey as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile Naruto's clone activated the Six Eyes and scanned the surrounding forest. It quickly located a powerful chakra signature hidden deeper inside the woods.
Found you… Zabuza Momochi.
The clone vanished with Body Flicker and appeared silently behind a tall man holding a massive sword.
Naruto's clone spoke casually.
"Yo, Demon of the Mist, Zabuza Momochi."
Zabuza reacted instantly.
He threw several shuriken toward the direction of the voice and jumped backward using Body Flicker to create distance. The weapons sliced through the air toward the masked stranger.
Naruto's clone dodged them effortlessly and stood there casually.
"Man, is that how you greet someone?" he said with a light chuckle.
Zabuza stared carefully at the masked figure standing before him. The stranger wore a fox mask, hiding his identity completely.
"Who are you?" Zabuza asked coldly.
His eyes narrowed as he studied the stranger.
He hadn't sensed the man at all until the moment he spoke. As a Jonin-level missing ninja, that fact alone made Zabuza extremely cautious.
A chill ran down his spine as he entered full alert.
Naruto chuckled quietly.
He had deliberately approached to test his concealment seals, and they worked perfectly.
"Relax. I just came to tell you something."
Naruto tilted his head slightly.
"Your Mizukage is being controlled."
Zabuza's expression sharpened instantly.
Naruto continued speaking calmly.
"The Bloody Mist era is part of a plan meant to destroy the Hidden Mist Village from the inside."
Zabuza crossed his arms and gave a dry laugh.
"Hah. I already suspected something like that."
He stared at Naruto carefully.
"But why tell me? I'm a rogue ninja."
Naruto smiled behind the mask.
"You know Mei Terumi, right?"
Zabuza's eyes flickered slightly.
Naruto continued calmly.
"She will become the next Mizukage soon. You should go back and help her."
He looked directly at Zabuza.
"The era of the Bloody Mist is almost over."
Zabuza remained silent for a moment before asking again.
"Who exactly are you?"
Naruto straightened proudly and pointed at himself.
"Me?"
He puffed his chest out dramatically.
"I'm the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger."
Zabuza stared at him like he had just heard something incredibly stupid.
Naruto coughed awkwardly.
"Ahem… never mind that."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Just go back to the Mist."
Zabuza smirked slightly.
"And you think I'll listen just because you said so?"
Naruto laughed lightly.
"Of course not."
He cracked his knuckles.
"So let's settle this the pirate way."
Zabuza immediately formed hand seals.
"Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
A thick mist spread across the forest instantly, covering the entire area.
Naruto calmly raised one hand.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm."
A powerful gust of wind exploded outward, instantly blowing the mist away.
Six kunai appeared in Naruto's hand from his wrist storage seal.
He tossed them into the air.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu."
The kunai multiplied into thousands and rained down from above.
Zabuza quickly formed another hand seal.
"Water Release: Water Bullet Jutsu!"
Powerful streams of water blasted upward and destroyed the incoming weapons.
Even so, Zabuza's mind was shaken.
What kind of chakra control is that…?
He used a jutsu without hand signs.
Naruto smiled calmly.
"You can still listen to my advice."
"I really don't want to kill you."
He then casually pointed toward the forest.
"And that kid hiding in the woods won't be able to help you if I decide to."
Zabuza's eyes widened slightly.
Hidden among the trees, Haku froze in shock.
Naruto bowed politely after speaking.
At that exact moment Zabuza's true body appeared behind him, swinging the Executioner Blade toward Naruto's neck.
Naruto laughed.
"You really think that water clone standing there fooled me?"
"Rasengan."
The swirling sphere of chakra slammed directly into Zabuza's stomach.
Zabuza was blasted backward before dissolving into water.
Naruto immediately punched the ground.
"Monster Strength Jutsu."
The ground cracked violently as shockwaves spread across the forest floor.
Zabuza, who had attempted to attack again from underground, was forced to jump backward to avoid the impact.
He landed several meters away and stared at the masked ninja.
For the first time—
The Demon of the Mist looked completely serious.