Zabuza Captured

"Damn it, those Sea Ninja Village bastards really can't be underestimated!"

With an unconscious captive slung across his back, Zabuza raced through the treetops, glancing behind him as he went. Only after confirming that no pursuers were following did he let out a slight sigh of relief.

Although he had fled outright, that was merely a decision Zabuza had made after assessing the situation. It did not mean he feared Nadare Rōga.

Even if Nadare Rōga somewhat countered him, Zabuza believed that if they kept fighting, the final victor would definitely be himself.

However, tangling with an opponent in their home territory was hardly a wise move for Zabuza. He had already obtained important intelligence and captured a prisoner. Right now, all he wanted was to withdraw.

Perhaps Zabuza would not have taken Sea Ninja Village seriously before, but after discovering so many strange things, if he still thought they were nothing but a bunch of minnows, then he truly would be an idiot.

If he really encountered dozens or even hundreds of Chunin, an assassination-type Jonin like Zabuza would gain no advantage at all! What was more, judging from the current situation, the other side had at least thirty or forty Jonin. Even if they were merely at the level of Special Jonin, that would be enough to effortlessly wipe out their scouting squad.

"Sea Ninja Village seems to possess some method for strengthening ninjas' physical abilities on a large scale, and they also have that kind of animal-modification ability! If this method has no major limitations, then this intelligence is far too important!"

"If our village could also master this ability..."

A few fiery glints showed through Zabuza's solemn gaze. This was both a crisis and an opportunity for Kirigakure. Sea Ninja Village might threaten Kirigakure's status, but if they obtained this enhancement method, Kirigakure would surely leap to become the strongest shinobi village in the entire Ninja World!

In this era, there were no overpowered ninjas like Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha. Any Kage of the Five Great Shinobi Villages would likely gain no advantage against a thousand Chunin.

Perhaps only the current Mizukage of his village could contend against a thousand Chunin. Yet that was not because of his own strength, but because he was a Jinchuriki with a Tailed Beast—an endless battery.

Just as Momochi Zabuza's thoughts were running wild, he suddenly felt as though someone had grabbed both his legs. While he was in mid-leap, Zabuza lost his balance completely and crashed down from the tree with a splash.

"What? What's going on?!" Zabuza cried in surprise. Looking down, he saw pale white arms growing from his legs, crossing over one another as they gripped his ankles.

His pupils contracted slightly. Zabuza reached for the massive blade on his back, only to feel his wrist tighten. Two identical arms had grown from his waist and seized his wrists.

Before he could react, arm after arm extended from all over his body, locking down every joint. Zabuza could not move at all and could only writhe across the ground like a maggot.

"Damn it! What kind of ability is this?"

Even as a battle-hardened Jonin of Kirigakure who had seen countless strange and bizarre Secret Techniques, Zabuza had never witnessed anything so eerie.

The arms growing from his body appeared fair, delicate, and soft, but their strength was astonishing. Even with Chakra reinforcing him, Zabuza could not break free. His wrists and ankles were even being squeezed painfully.

"This is so easy... It seems my ability completely counters the way ninjas fight!"

A calm voice rang out. Zabuza struggled to lift his head and saw a stunning black-haired beauty with long hair approaching from the distance. There was an intellectual air about her face, and with a faint smile at her lips, she looked at Zabuza lying on the ground with an inquisitive expression.

She was naturally Nico Robin. In terms of strength, even after Vegapunk's enhancements and learning how to use Chakra, Nico Robin was not actually all that powerful. Even if she could defeat Zabuza under normal circumstances, she could never have done so this easily.

However, Nico Robin's Flower-Flower Fruit ability was unpredictable and bizarre. Back in the Pirate World, when facing physical freaks with terrifyingly strong bodies, it had the weakness of lacking sufficient power. But against frail-bodied ninjas, limbs growing directly from their own bodies were practically their natural nemesis.

After all, ninjas were all glass-cannon Mages and high-speed assassins, while Nico Robin's Flower-Flower Fruit did not need to account for a target's evasions. Once used, it almost always hit, and there was virtually no attack delay. It was guaranteed to seize the initiative. Combined together, these traits meant Nico Robin could nearly instantly kill ninety-nine percent of the ninjas in the entire Ninja World.

Other than those who had undergone body modifications and barely counted as human anymore, or ninjas who had trained their Physical Bodies to the limit, only Kekkei Genkai Ninjas who did not need Hand Seals and could directly manipulate their Secret Techniques could contend with this ability.

Clearly, Momochi Zabuza was not among that one percent. Before he had even seen Nico Robin, she had detected him with Observation Haki and captured him with her Flower-Flower Fruit ability.

"What? That guy Zabuza was captured by Sea Ninja Village too?"

Kisame looked at the newly delivered intelligence and felt his head swell. They had only been in Sea Country for four days, yet both his superior and colleague had already been taken out. Had they come to investigate Sea Ninja Village, or Konohagakure?

"What exactly is going on? The other side's intelligence is so precise. Could they possess some ninjutsu capable of scouting over a vast area?"

"This is bad. If that's really the case..."

Just then, a clamor came from outside the base. Kisame's expression changed. He drew the long blade in his hand and leaped outside.

When Kisame arrived, he happened to see a tall figure entering. A group of Kirigakure Chunin crowded around that figure as though they had found their backbone, their faces full of excitement.

How could they not be excited? They had originally thought that coming here to investigate a newly established minor shinobi village would be an easy task. Yet on the very first day, their commander disappeared, and on the third day, their deputy commander was captured as well. Only Kisame, the Shark Face, remained as the lone Jonin holding down the fort.

The key was that Kisame was not suited for this! He could fight, sure, but he used to handle silencing jobs. Asking him to organize plans was simply making things difficult for him.

On the other hand, whenever most Chunin saw that Shark Face, their first thought was whether, if the mission failed, he would silence them too!