The next morning.
After traveling for more than a day, Team 7 and Tazuna finally arrived in the Land of Waves. Thanks to the morning fog and their contact's help, they encountered no further enemies and safely set foot on the mainland.
After only a few steps from the port, Kakashi sighed silently, quietly moved between Tazuna and Naruto, muttering to himself, "They came quickly. I wonder if Sasuke and Sakura will be able to find us this time..." As for Naruto, Kakashi completely ignored him. After all, his dark personality was fighting for control, and the Jōnin didn't need to worry about Naruto's growth.
In the bushes ahead, Zabuza squinted, observing the group in the distance.
"As expected. It's Kakashi, with his Sharingan, the Copy Ninja. Those two idiots deserved to be defeated."
As one of the second batch of Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist who fought his way out of Kirigakure, Zabuza wasn't afraid. Instead, he felt the excitement of a hunter finding his prey. Having been relentlessly pursued by Kirigakure's forces for so long, he desperately needed to vent his frustrations and make a name for himself. After all, the pursuit force was just large in number; none of the renowned figures in the ninja world were there to use as stepping stones. Once he killed Kakashi, no more fools like Gato would dare question his abilities.
Behind Zabuza, Haku—wearing a hunter-nin mask—sensed Zabuza's killing intent and quickly approached. "Lord Zabuza, shall we attack now?"
"No rush." Zabuza raised his hand, blocking Haku's path. "Kakashi is no ordinary person; he might have already discovered us. He's keeping a low profile now, probably to train his three genin subordinates." At this point, Zabuza smiled contemptuously. "It's alright. He'll pay for his arrogance soon enough."
Looking at Kakashi and his group drawing ever closer, Zabuza spoke again, "I'll go out and greet them first. Then proceed with the usual fighting method. Understand?"
Haku nodded. Having fought alongside Zabuza for so long, he naturally understood what he meant: Zabuza would go out to fight first, then Haku would disguise himself as a member of the hunter-nin squad, feigning to help deal with Zabuza and then suddenly betray him, catching the enemy off guard. The method seemed simple, but because of the hunter-nin masks, it always worked. After all, everyone knew that the missing-nin Zabuza was being hunted by Kirigakure.
Whoosh!
The sound of a blade slicing through the air came from the bushes.
Seeing that no one reacted, Kakashi immediately pressed down Naruto and Tazuna beside him and shouted, "Get down!"
Sasuke and Sakura, both highly vigilant, ducked almost instantly upon hearing the Jōnin's shout.
Clang!
The spinning Executioner's Blade grazed their hair and embedded itself in the tree trunk in front of them. Then, a blur appeared, and Zabuza stood with his back to the hilt.
"It's you! The missing-nin from Kirigakure, the Demon King, Zabuza Momochi!" Kakashi frowned slightly. He hadn't expected this mission to escalate from C-rank to B-rank and now to A-rank.
"I didn't expect the famous Kakashi to know me. I'll give you that much respect. Hand over that old man to me, and I'll let you go."
Before Kakashi could reply, Naruto roared, "Impossible! You ambushed us, and now you dare to demand we hand over poor Uncle Tazuna? You scoundrel!"
While verbally berating Zabuza, Naruto was also inwardly cursing Menma. Why didn't you warn me when it was so dangerous?! If it weren't for Kakashi-sensei, my forehead would have been sliced off by that terrifying sword!
"Heh." Menma's disdainful laughter echoed in his mind. I thought after yesterday's events, you'd be tough for a few days and not ask for my help. I didn't expect you to cave so quickly. In that case, why don't you just give me your body, and I'll come out and kill him for you?
The sarcasm and irony in Menma's words made Naruto blush deeply. I've already apologized! What more do you want from me? Using cruel methods to kill is clearly wrong. I didn't say anything wrong!
Fine, don't help then. Team 7 can handle him too!
Seeing Naruto's stubborn refusal, Menma's mocking voice rang out again. That's hard to say. Your opponent is no weaker than Kakashi. You really won't let me out? Without me, you're useless right now, unable to protect anything. Or are you actually waiting for others to get hurt, then being forced to lose control and release me? In that case, I understand your thinking. After all, being forced to release me is a way to find an excuse!
These words made Naruto's face turn bright red. They also revealed his deepest thoughts and the sore spots he didn't want to expose. Immediately, he angrily retorted to Menma internally, I didn't! I'm your opposite, possessing the same talent as you. I'm no worse than you! You watch! Even without you, I will protect my comrades and Uncle Tazuna! Finally, I will surpass you, become stronger, become Hokage, and make everyone acknowledge me!
This internal dialogue fueled Naruto's anger even more. The fact that his primary personality was inferior to his secondary personality was a point Naruto had always avoided mentioning and selectively forgotten. Menma didn't know what had gotten into him, bringing these topics into the open. Wasn't he afraid that he would never let him out again?
[Trust Level: 52%]
He didn't agree verbally, but his inner agreement was reflected on the System Panel.
"Hmph. Noisy brat. All you can do is talk." Seeing Naruto fall silent after speaking, Zabuza's face was full of disdain.
The next second, the Executioner's Blade and Zabuza on the tree vanished instantly. When the swordsman reappeared, he was in front of Tazuna, who was surrounded by the group. His blade whistled as it slashed down heavily.
"So fast!"
"Faster than Kakashi-sensei in actual combat!"
The Elite Jōnin-level Body Flicker Technique made Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all pale. None of them could react in time.
Clang!
The three didn't react, but Kakashi was already prepared. He crossed his two kunai in front of him, steadily catching the blade less than ten centimeters from Tazuna.
"Kakashi, you're no ordinary person after all," Zabuza noted.
Ignoring the praise, Kakashi forced him back with a single strike. Then he pulled down his mask, revealing his crimson three-tomoe Sharingan. At the same time, he reached out to stop Naruto and Sasuke, who were about to join the battle.
"Alright, let's start teamwork and divide the tasks. You guys form a defensive formation to protect Mr. Tazuna. I'll handle this."
Because Kakashi had already revealed his Sharingan during the previous battle, and Sasuke had even briefly explained it to Naruto on the way, the three weren't surprised. Hearing about teamwork, Naruto and Sasuke wisely retreated. Together with Sakura, they used the defensive formation to protect Tazuna away from the battlefield.
"I didn't expect to see the legendary Sharingan so soon, but we can't let our target escape." Zabuza didn't take a step to catch up with the retreating Tazuna. Instead, he formed hand seals and created a Water Clone Technique. He trusted Kakashi wouldn't interfere; after all, his subordinates needed training.
Kakashi, just as Zabuza had expected, ignored the water clone and stared intently at him. Once the water clone left, the two figures vanished from their spot almost simultaneously. They transformed into two indistinct black shadows, locked in a fierce and rapid battle.
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