Mist Assassin

Kyosuke estimated that Sasuke was probably around level 30 by now.

In other words, not long after graduating from the Ninja Academy, he already possessed the strength of a Chunin.

Though he was only at the very bottom of the Chunin tier.

Still, Sasuke's foundation was solid. This could be seen from how, in the original story, his strength soared once his Chakra control improved.

At that time, his level was unknown, but his combat power had likely reached level 35 or above—already beyond the average Chunin benchmark.

During the "Land of Waves" mission, and then in the following Chunin Exams, once he awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, he was only a step away from Jonin level.

After copying Lee's taijutsu, learning Chidori, and gaining an initial grasp of Lightning Release Chakra, his actual combat strength would thoroughly enter the Jonin tier.

All Kyosuke could say was that, as expected of Indra's Chakra reincarnation vessel, his potential was truly formidable.

After defeating the two enemies, Kakashi interrogated them.

Only then did the group learn of the danger hidden behind this mission.

Even so, they ultimately decided to press on.

Soon, after several days of travel by land and more than a day by water, they successfully came ashore on a coast at the border of the Land of Waves.

Over the past few days, Kyosuke had found excuses to let Sakura and Sasuke in on some of the benefits of mastering "Chakra control."

As a result, the two of them could now initially walk on water.

After all, the coming battle was impossible to predict. The more their strength improved, even by a little, the greater their odds of victory would be.

After landing, the group began following the forest path toward the interior of the Land of Waves.

Without Naruto's usual antics this time, their journey went fairly smoothly.

But Kyosuke had long since pushed his sensory abilities to their limit, remaining constantly wary of an enemy attack.

He had even found an excuse to send out his Summoning Animal as well.

His goal was to detect Zabuza's arrival in time—and guard against Haku, who was hiding in the shadows.

Suddenly, one of the small snakes sent Kyosuke a warning signal.

At the same time, Kakashi shouted, "Get down!"

In his panic, Kyosuke grabbed the still-bewildered Tazuna and pressed him to the ground, while dropping down himself.

In an instant, the few people who had just hit the ground felt something whistle over their heads.

That object was none other than one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist's blades—the Kubikiribōchō.

And the man wielding it was Momochi Zabuza, the ninja known as the Demon.

"I was wondering why the Demon Brothers failed. So it was you—the Copy Ninja of Konoha, Kakashi Hatake." Momochi Zabuza stood atop his massive blade, his voice cold.

At the same time, an astonishing killing intent poured from his body, engulfing Kakashi and the others.

It had to be said that although he seemed somewhat underwhelming in the original story, in "reality," he truly deserved the title of Demon.

Regardless of his actual combat strength, this killing intent alone was enough to intimidate the inexperienced Sasuke and Sakura.

As for Kyosuke, although he was still young, neither his experiences nor his mental fortitude could be compared to those of the other two kids.

So while he also found it somewhat difficult to breathe, he could still fight if necessary.

Kakashi silently assessed the enemy's strength. After hesitating for a moment, he could only lift his forehead protector.

In truth, Kakashi had already become extremely proficient in using the Sharingan by this point.

Not only could he skillfully use Kamui, he could even combine it with his Raikiri to unleash a devastating move like Kamui Raikiri, one capable of injuring even Kaguya.

But his excessive use of an ability that did not belong to him had placed a tremendous burden on his body in everyday life.

Especially now that he had noticed his vision gradually becoming blurred, he could only seal away every technique related to Kamui.

Thus, under these circumstances, not only did he have to maintain the constant Chakra consumption of keeping the Sharingan activated, he also had to bear the Chakra expenditure of the seal.

With less than one-tenth of his strength remaining, it was no surprise that Zabuza could suppress him.

I have to end this quickly. Otherwise, with my current body... Kakashi fixed his Sharingan firmly on the enemy, then turned to Kyosuke and the others. "Don't interfere. He isn't someone you can handle yet."

The instant Kakashi was distracted, Zabuza leaped down from the tree and landed in a pond not far away.

At the same time, he formed hand seals with one hand before his chest while raising the other over his head in another seal.

Ninjutsu: Hidden Mist Technique.

As Zabuza released his Ninjutsu, thick mist suddenly surged through the area.

Kyosuke and the others, including Kakashi, could barely see anything beyond a meter around themselves. Any farther, and they could see nothing at all.

And that was not the worst of it. Once Kyosuke and Sasuke each activated their Sharingan, they discovered something else.

The dense mist was infused with Zabuza's Chakra, so even the Sharingan could not catch sight of him.

More troublesome than I imagined, but not impossible to deal with. Kyosuke quietly formed hand seals.

After a brief standoff, Zabuza suddenly burst forward from where he stood, reaching Sasuke and the others almost instantly.

Body Flicker Technique: Mist Flicker.

This was an advanced Body Flicker Technique used in conjunction with the Hidden Mist Technique, and one of Zabuza's signature Ninjutsu.

It was so fast that even Kyosuke, who had been prepared for it, failed to react at all.

Yet Kakashi, with his wealth of combat experience, still arrived in time.

He likewise used the Body Flicker Technique to rush to Zabuza's side, driving his Kunai into Zabuza's chest.

However, amid a spray of water, Zabuza vanished from where he stood.

A water clone—and one concealed by the Hidden Mist Technique at that. No wonder Kakashi had failed to see through it.

The instant Kakashi lost his balance due to that misjudgment, Zabuza appeared behind him.

With a slash, Kakashi was cleaved in two.

Unfortunately, Kakashi's newly learned Water Clone Technique successfully deceived Zabuza.

Before learning an unknown enemy's exact capabilities, using clones as bait was one of Kakashi's usual tricks.

But this time, his enemy was not so easily fooled.

Because this Zabuza was still a water clone.

Caught off guard, Kakashi was sent flying by a kick.

Just as Zabuza prepared to deal with Kakashi first, a scorching blaze suddenly came from behind him.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu."

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu."

Two massive fireballs came hurtling toward the equally careless Zabuza, one after the other.

"Damn brats!" Enraged and alarmed, Zabuza could only pull his greatsword before him and brace himself to take both Ninjutsu head-on.

But at that moment, a thick wall of ice suddenly appeared before him. Though it failed to fully block the two Fireball Jutsu, it still bought him enough time to escape.

At the sight of this, Kyosuke's heart sank.

Because the newcomer was none other than the Yuki Clan's lone survivor, Yuki Haku.