Li Chuan's Trump Card

Sure enough, though it was somewhat unexpected, Kakashi still destroyed the Water Clone before him, then turned around and intercepted Zabuza's attack in time.

However, because he had been a step too slow in dealing with the Water Clone, Zabuza kicked him into the small river ahead during their Body Technique exchange.

"Water Style: Water Prison Technique!"

Seeing Kakashi fall into the water, Zabuza sneered and swiftly stepped forward, activating the ninjutsu he had prepared in advance.

It turned out he had never expected to quickly defeat the renowned Kakashi. Everything he had done before was simply to force Kakashi into the river and trap him with the Water Prison Technique.

His mission was not to kill Kakashi or settle who was stronger between them, but to kill Tazuna. That had been the battle plan from the very beginning.

To rise from mountains of corpses and seas of blood to become an Elite Jonin, assassinate the Mizukage and escape unscathed, then continue avoiding death at the hands of Hidden Mist Village's pursuit forces—Zabuza's strength and combat wisdom were certainly not much inferior to Kakashi's at this point.

It was just that there had been a small mishap when he first appeared: Li Chuan had taken away his Executioner's Blade.

But there was nothing he could do about that. Ninja battles were not just about strength, but also intelligence. He had information on Kakashi, but none on Li Chuan, so unexpected developments were only natural.

It was like two armies facing off with roughly equal forces and equally capable generals, except some unknown soldier on one side possessed strength like Lu Bu's. Even Zhuge Liang would have had no way of foreseeing that.

Even Kakashi could not easily break free from the Water Prison Technique cast by Zabuza's real body. But likewise, Zabuza's real body could not move while maintaining the technique.

However, Zabuza had clearly prepared for this already. One hand maintained the Water Prison Technique trapping Kakashi, while the other formed seals and created another Water Clone.

"This is the moment I was waiting for!"

Watching Zabuza's Water Clone walk toward them step by step, Li Chuan grabbed his Zen Staff and charged straight at it.

"You protect Mr. Tazuna. I'll deal with him!"

Zabuza and Kakashi's recent duel had completely shattered the confidence of Naruto and the other two. Even Sasuke, the strongest among them, had begun to tremble slightly as he gripped his kunai and watched Zabuza approach.

Fortunately, aside from Kakashi, they still had Li Chuan, who was clearly far stronger than them.

"Little monk, you barely qualify to enter my handbook. But unfortunately, there's no longer any need for that!"

Holding a kunai, Zabuza wasted no time and attacked Li Chuan like lightning.

The ninjas included in his ninja handbook were all those he acknowledged. But if someone died, there was naturally no need to record them in it.

"Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, the three of you protect Mr. Tazuna and retreat farther away. His Water Clone can't stray too far from the real body.

Li Chuan, don't clash with him head-on. Just hold out for five minutes, and his Water Clone will automatically disperse. With his current Chakra, if he creates another clone, I can force my way out of his Water Prison!"

Though trapped inside the Water Prison, Kakashi swiftly formulated a battle plan based on the situation.

He was very glad that they had run into this Monk Ninja from the Fire Temple, whose strength was clearly considerable. Otherwise, this situation would have been troublesome. With Naruto and the others' strength, they would not even have the basic ability to fight back against Zabuza's clone.

"Five minutes? That's not so difficult."

Facing the rapidly approaching Zabuza, Li Chuan gripped the Zen Staff with both hands, channeled strength through his entire body, and immediately unleashed the simple yet formidable Shaolin Bodhidharma Staff Technique.

It was a staff technique he had once learned from a Shaolin Lay Disciple. Although its moves were simple, it could bring out the Zen Staff's power to the fullest extent.

Defeating Zabuza, an Elite Jonin, was likely beyond him even if he revealed all his trump cards. But holding out under his Water Clone for five minutes was something he was confident he could do.

Part of the reason he had deliberately allowed the situation to develop this way was that he wanted to trade blows with Zabuza's clone and get a clearer sense of his current strength.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

After a series of dense metallic collisions, Zabuza's Water Clone had no choice but to retreat temporarily, abandoning its plan to approach and defeat Li Chuan with Body Technique.

Li Chuan wielded the nearly two-hundred-pound Zen Staff so tightly that not even water could penetrate its defense. Zabuza could not find an opening to land a fatal blow.

If he had the Executioner's Blade in hand, he could have tried to clash with it and relied on his exquisite swordsmanship to win. But with only a kunai, every collision felt as if it might cause the Water Clone to fall apart.

"Up to now, you've only used Body Technique. It seems you aren't very skilled in ninjutsu."

Zabuza's Water Clone looked at Li Chuan and slowly put away its kunai.

During several moments in the fight when he could have been injured, Li Chuan had not used ninjutsu. Instead, he had chosen to trade injury for injury, forcing Zabuza to defend himself.

"I'm indeed not skilled in ninjutsu, but I can still hold out for five minutes with Body Technique alone."

Li Chuan knew Zabuza was probing him, and he deliberately gave that answer.

He wanted to create the image that he was not skilled in ninjutsu before everyone, using only his Body Technique as much as possible. That would both conceal his strength and prevent suspicion when he needed to do certain things in the future.

"You're underestimating me too much!"

Zabuza rapidly formed hand seals with both hands.

"Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

A Water Clone possessing half of Zabuza's Chakra could naturally perform the corresponding ninjutsu.

As Zabuza completed his hand seals, a massive water dragon formed by the B-rank Water Dragon Bullet Technique surged viciously toward Li Chuan.

If he were struck by a water dragon launched by an Elite Jonin like Zabuza, even with Li Chuan's current physical condition, he would likely suffer serious injuries.

So he decisively hurled the Zen Staff in his hands at the water dragon with all his strength to slow it down, then leaped away at top speed, escaping the water dragon's attack range.

There was no helping it—the water dragon was too fast. If he carried the heavy Zen Staff, he might not escape in time.

"It's over!"

Yet at the instant Li Chuan leaped up, Zabuza's Water Clone appeared behind him, kunai in hand as it stabbed toward his neck.

"Behind you, watch out!"

Seeing Zabuza appear behind Li Chuan, Naruto and the other two cried out in terror to warn him.

Unfortunately, if Li Chuan had needed to wait for their warning, his neck would have been pierced long ago.

"It's you who's finished."

Sensing Zabuza appear behind him, Li Chuan showed no fear. Instead, his face wore an expression that said he had known this would happen, and he suddenly thrust both hands backward.

Something strange happened. A sharp long blade had somehow appeared in his previously empty hands.

Before Zabuza's kunai could reach Li Chuan's neck, Li Chuan had already stabbed him through with his blade. Zabuza turned into a puddle of water and vanished.