Meanwhile, at the site of Kakashi and Zabuza's battle:
A thick fog rose from the water, enveloping the area in a blinding white haze.
"As expected of Konoha's top Jonin, the Copy Ninja Kakashi! I never imagined you'd be this troublesome!"
Zabuza's voice, distant and ethereal, drifted through the fog from above, reaching Kakashi's grim face.
Unlike in the original timeline, this battle was taking place on the open sea. After only a brief clash with Kakashi, Zabuza realized his opponent's tenacity and immediately resorted to the Hidden Mist Technique.
"Kakashi, you've already lost. Abandon your mission and return to Konoha."
Zabuza's voice, cold and dripping with murderous intent, seemed to come from everywhere at once, designed to shatter Kakashi's will to fight.
Having witnessed Kakashi's skill firsthand, Zabuza knew pushing such a skilled ninja into a corner would be a grave mistake.
Even if he managed to kill Kakashi, the cost would likely be catastrophic.
Moreover, constantly pursued by Kirigakure's assassination squads, Zabuza couldn't afford to provoke Konoha any further.
"Still not giving up?"
Seeing Kakashi remain silent and unmoved, Zabuza continued, "If that's the case, then not only will you die, but those three brats beside you will die too. Heh heh heh..."
"That black-haired brat must be dead by now. Though I loathe Raiga, I can't deny his strength."
'Kurosuki Raiga!'
Kakashi's heart jolted. He had suspected as much when struck by lightning earlier, but hearing Zabuza confirm it still sent a shock through him.
Kakashi gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on the White Fang short sword. After a moment, he suddenly smiled.
"Zabuza, you're severely underestimating my three adorable students."
"Heh," Zabuza sneered.
"If that's how you want it, I'm done playing games with you. Die!"
Zabuza's figure suddenly burst from the thick mist, swinging the Executioner's Blade in a roaring arc.
Kakashi startled but reacted instantly, slashing out with the White Fang.
Clang! Clang!
The clash of steel echoed violently through the mist as the two warriors locked blades once more.
Meanwhile, at the battlefield where Naruto, Sakura, and Haku clashed, a square formation of coalescing Ice Mirrors shimmered amidst the dense fog.
"Konoha Strong Whirlwind Kick!"
Naruto transformed into a ferocious, spinning vortex, kicking with explosive force toward Haku's revealed position.
The air shattered with thunderous booms as his strike tore through the mist!
Seeing this, Haku's heart skipped a beat within the Ice Mirror. He swiftly performed an Ice Mirror Shift, dodging to another mirror.
Taking advantage of the moment, he hurled dozens of Ice Needle, but they failed to penetrate even the turbulent air swirling around Naruto, collapsing uselessly to the ground.
Boom!
Naruto's kick struck with the force of a cannonball, shattering over a dozen Ice Mirrors into crystalline dust.
Haku's gaze darkened as he rapidly formed a hand seal, condensing the shattered fragments back into their original forms.
'They're so strong!'
Hidden within the dense mist of the Ice Mirrors, Haku glanced at the golden-haired boy who had just landed and the pink-haired girl who remained motionless, observing intently.
He had clashed with them briefly, and their combined assault had instantly put him on the defensive, nearly leading to a crushing defeat.
Now he was merely stalling them with the Hidden Mist Technique and the Demonic Ice Mirrors.
Each time he reformed the Ice Mirrors, it drained a significant amount of his Chakra.
The moment his Chakra could no longer sustain the Demonic Ice Mirrors would mark his defeat.
He knew he had no chance of defeating these two youths. His current strategy was simply to endure and buy time.
'Damn it!'
The moment Naruto landed, he saw the Ice Mirror he had shattered earlier completely restored, once again concealed within the dense mist. He clenched his fist, his frustration boiling over.
The enemy they had faced head-on was no match for the two of them, but the combination of the thick mist and the bizarre Ice Mirror had allowed him to stall them endlessly.
"Sakura, how's the analysis coming?" Naruto called out to Sakura, who stood beside him.
"Almost there!" Sakura shouted back, her eyes fixed intently on the swirling mist around them. "This fog is saturated with the caster's Chakra! Just give me a little more time!"
Though Sakura was skilled in Water Release techniques, she hadn't mastered the Hidden Mist Technique.
Her current task was to analyze the fog's composition. Once she succeeded, she could use Water Release to condense the mist into water, neutralizing Haku's Hidden Mist Technique.
With their combined efforts, they could shatter the Demonic Ice Mirrors and break free in one decisive move!
The scene shifted to Sasuke's perspective.
"Uchiha brat," Kurosuki Raiga taunted coldly from within the dense fog, observing the numerous wounds covering Sasuke's body. "It seems your Sharingan isn't as all-seeing as you claimed!"
As the words left his lips, Kurosuki Raiga suddenly materialized from the sea surface before Sasuke, his twin blades flashing as he launched a lightning-fast strike!
In response to the strike, Sasuke's Thunder God Sword transformed into countless bolts of lightning, surging toward Kurosuki Raiga.
Pfft!
Sasuke's strike pierced Kurosuki Raiga, causing him to instantly dissolve into a pool of clear water.
Hiss!
Yet Kurosuki Raiga's water clone had also left a moderate-sized wound on Sasuke's thigh.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
Seeing this, Kurosuki Raiga's maniacal laughter echoed from all directions within the dense mist.
"Your Sharingan can't see through anything! It can't even penetrate my Hidden Mist Technique!"
The pressure and fear Kurosuki Raiga had felt toward Sasuke earlier vanished completely.
Faced with Kurosuki Raiga's taunts, Sasuke merely glanced at the wound on his thigh from the corner of his eye.
With his extraordinary visual perception, Kurosuki Raiga's location was no secret to him.
Some of the wounds on his body were deliberate, while others he genuinely couldn't evade.
Though the Red Eye was the natural enemy of the Byakugan, not the Sharingan, it couldn't be denied that Ranmaru's Red Eye had indeed interfered with him to some extent.
The unavoidable wounds Sasuke had sustained were a direct result of Ranmaru's interference.
Fortunately, none of the injuries were serious, causing him minimal harm.
Sasuke was waiting!
Waiting for the perfect moment to unleash a lethal strike—a single, decisive blow to end it all.
Kurosuki Raiga, having taken Sasuke's earlier words to heart, had grown extremely cautious.
He mostly launched probing attacks, retreating immediately afterward, leaving Sasuke few opportunities.
The wounds on Sasuke's body were deliberately shown to Kurosuki Raiga as bait!
That opportunity was coming soon. Sasuke could sense the killing intent in Kurosuki Raiga's eyes growing increasingly uncontrollable.
As expected!
A bolt of lightning suddenly illuminated the dense fog behind Sasuke as Kurosuki Raiga charged forward with lightning speed, slashing his blade at Sasuke.
Pshh!
The sound of flesh being pierced and blood gushing violently filled the air.
Kurosuki Raiga lowered his head to stare at the golden light blade piercing his heart. With a struggle, he lifted his gaze to the calm-faced youth before him, murmuring in disbelief, "How did you know...?"
___
This Sasuke Is Strange 190 advanced chapters: (5 ch updates everyday)
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