The Ninjutsu He Learned Before He Was Born

"I can't believe it actually worked. You're full of surprises, kid."

Kakashi wiped the sweat from his forehead as he spoke.

After Shinki had glanced at him earlier, he had understood that Shinki had placed a Flying Thunder God Formula on Zabuza.

The situation had been urgent, so Kakashi could only choose to trust Shinki, trusting that he could restrain Zabuza.

So he had used his Sharingan to exchange Ninjutsu with Zabuza, creating an opening for Shinki.

The result was obvious: Shinki hadn't let him down!

At the same time, everything Shinki had just shown left Kakashi even more astonished!

In the few brief exchanges with Zabuza, Shinki had used the Eight Gates, Flying Thunder God, and Water Release.

And no matter which technique it was, the kid had used it with effortless mastery!

His speed at forming Hand Seals for that final Water Release had even surpassed Kakashi's own!

A genius!

Kakashi couldn't think of a better word to describe Shinki.

"What just happened? Did you see it clearly?"

Naruto blankly poked Sasuke, who was standing beside him.

All he remembered was Zabuza coming over and swinging his blade twice, exchanging Ninjutsu with Kakashi-sensei, and then suddenly being restrained by Shinki!

"I couldn't see exactly how he did it." Sasuke held his forehead.

By now, he had recognized the gap between himself and Shinki!

This was no longer something hard work could make up for!

What did this guy eat growing up? How did he know so much Ninjutsu?

Had he been practicing Hand Seals before he was even born?!

Meanwhile, Zabuza was trapped in Shinki's Water Prison Technique. He had a thousand objections, but he didn't know how to voice them, and his face turned red from holding them in.

Humiliating!

Too humiliating!

He was the renowned Demon of the Hidden Mist, whose Silent Killing Technique had made him famous throughout the Shinobi World, yet a Konoha Genin had dealt with him in just a few moves!

And now he was being held in a water prison, humiliated!

Zabuza felt so ashamed and furious that he wanted to die!

"Kakashi-sensei, what should we do with this guy?"

Shinki asked Kakashi as he maintained the water prison.

"Leave him to Kirigakure. He's a missing-nin from their village, so they'll definitely have hunter-nin assigned to deal with him."

Kakashi thought for a moment before answering.

"Shouldn't we just kill him, so he can't cause trouble later?" Shinki asked.

Kakashi explained, "Killing him outright would cause unnecessary conflict."

"A ninja's body holds the secrets of their village's Ninjutsu, the nature of their Chakra, and the ingredients of any secret medicines they've used."

"For example, if another village got hold of my body, they'd soon uncover the secrets of the Sharingan. They might even get their hands on its Ninjutsu."

"I see. Then couldn't we just get rid of him secretly and leave his body alone? No one would know we did it," Naruto said.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from a nearby tree. "Kid, I heard what you just said."

Shinki and the others looked toward the voice and saw a masked ninja standing in the treetop.

"He's a hunter-nin from Kirigakure."

Kakashi glanced at the mask the person was wearing and explained.

"Hunter-nin are specifically tasked with eliminating missing-nin who flee their village. They know how to dispose of a missing-nin's body properly, leaving no trace, to prevent other villages from learning their village's secrets."

"I see."

Shinki nodded.

The Kirigakure hunter-nin jumped down onto the water beside Shinki and gave him a somewhat surprised look.

The boy was clearly younger than him, yet he could trap Zabuza with the Water Prison Technique!

The Kirigakure hunter-nin took a few slender needles from his ninja tool pouch and said to Shinki, "Please release the Water Prison Technique."

"If I just release it, won't this guy escape?" Shinki asked.

"It's all right. I'll take care of restraining him."

The masked Kirigakure Ninja spoke with certainty.

Shinki glanced at Kakashi-sensei, and after getting his approval, nodded and pulled his hand out of the water prison, while keeping his guard up against the Kirigakure Ninja.

"Splash!!"

The sphere of water holding Zabuza collapsed in an instant!

The moment the water prison was released, the Kirigakure hunter-nin drove several slender needles into Zabuza's neck!

Zabuza's body immediately went limp. It was GG for him.

"Thank you all for your help. I'll see to it that Zabuza's body and the Kubikiribōchō are properly dealt with."

With that, the hunter-nin slung Zabuza's body over his shoulder and vanished on the spot.

Naruto was furious on the shore. "Damn it! We fought that guy so hard for so long, and someone else killed him in the end!"

Sasuke stood beside him with his arms crossed, looking cool. "What are you so mad about? Shinki clearly did most of the work."

Naruto: "..."

"I'm upset on Shinki's behalf!"

At that moment, Tazuna stepped forward and said, "All right, thank you all for your help. We're very close to my house now, so let's hurry over."

"After walking all this way, I'd really love a bowl of ramen."

Naruto rubbed his empty, rumbling stomach.

"I want some red-braised pork belly..."

Shinki voiced his simplest request.

"Huh? I've never heard of that dish!"

Tazuna looked astonished.

"I haven't heard of it either." Kakashi scratched his head.

He had lived in Konoha for so many years, but he had never heard of such a dish.

"None of you have heard of it?" Shinki was a little surprised and began to explain. "Red-braised pork belly is made with pork belly that has alternating layers of fat and lean meat. The seasonings are... When it's done, it's sweet, fragrant, tender, and nutritious, with layers of fat and lean meat that melt in your mouth. It's a delicacy!"

"I've never heard of it, but it sounds delicious!"

A look of longing appeared on Sasuke's face.

The food-loving Naruto was already swallowing his saliva. "Shinki, you know how to cook, right? Make it for us sometime. I really want to try it! ๑乛◡乛๑"

Shinki: "Why don't you learn to cook it yourself? →_→"

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

The Kirigakure hunter-nin carried Zabuza's body to a secluded spot in the woods.

Then he pulled the slender needles from Zabuza's neck.

"Cough, cough—"

Zabuza coughed twice and revived from his deathlike state.

"As expected of Kakashi the Copy Ninja. I can't believe he managed to push you into a corner, Mr. Zabuza."

The Kirigakure hunter-nin spoke.

Although he had seen Shinki imprison Zabuza in the water prison, he assumed Kakashi had arranged it.

"Actually, Kakashi barely made a move."

Zabuza's face reddened, and he continued through gritted teeth, "It was that kid. Not only can he use the Flying Thunder God Technique, he's also mastered Water Release..."

The masked Kirigakure hunter-nin's mouth fell open in surprise. "Huh? The Flying Thunder God Technique? Isn't that powerful Space-Time Ninjutsu something only..."

Zabuza raised a hand, cutting him off:

"You don't need to remind me. I know."

"And could you take that deceptive mask off your face?"