"So he's Kakashi of the Sharingan, the Copy Ninja of Konoha. No wonder the squad led by the Demon Brothers was completely wiped out."
Zabuza spoke in a low voice, undisguised malice showing in his eyes, like a jackal fixing its gaze on prey.
"Eh? What's a Copy Ninja, and what's the Sharingan?"
Naruto suddenly began asking exaggerated questions at the worst possible time.
Sakura's eyebrow twitched. Big brother, you're having way too much fun...
She sighed inwardly and played along with Naruto. "The Sharingan is the Uchiha clan's Kekkei Genkai, but what does that have to do with Teacher Kakashi? Ah, could it be...!"
She glanced at Sasuke, who was also looking at Kakashi in surprise.
Kakashi's expression remained calm. He showed not the slightest trace of smugness, fully displaying the bearing of a strong warrior.
He raised one hand to the ninja forehead protector and slowly lifted it, allowing his scarred Sharingan to make its formal debut.
"So this is the Sharingan that copied over a thousand jutsu?" Zabuza said indifferently.
"Great, it's the Sharingan! We're saved!" Naruto shouted theatrically. "Sasuke, isn't that exclusive to the Uchiha clan? Did you lend your eye to the boss?"
Sasuke immediately flew into a rage and glared fiercely at Naruto.
Huh? I thought intense negative emotions were supposed to awaken the Sharingan.
Looks like the negative emotions weren't intense enough.
Naruto's incessant chatter irritated Zabuza. He glanced at Naruto, who immediately formed a swastika-shaped formation with Sakura and Sasuke, protecting Tazuna.
Naruto blinked. "Big pot, your eyes aren't as good-looking as our boss's."
"That's enough." Kakashi stiffly stopped Naruto. "From here on, protect Mr. Tazuna. I'll deal with this man."
"You're no match for him."
"Got it." Naruto said that aloud, but his mind once again sank into his mental space.
He quickly arrived at the door. "Nine-Tails, I'm the landlord. Hand over the Chakra."
"You're in trouble again?" The Nine-Tails was somewhat annoyed. How could someone complain about its Chakra one moment and come begging for it the next?
Could you show some respect for tailed-beast Chakra?!
"Hurry up. If you do this job well, I'll let bygones be bygones." Naruto calmly slipped into the role of the Nine-Tails' leader.
The Nine-Tails did not agree right away. It merely observed the outside world through Naruto.
Zabuza drew his sword and used Body Flicker Technique to appear above the water. He raised one hand and pushed the Mist Technique to its limit.
Visibility in the surrounding area dropped even further.
Sasuke was intimidated by Zabuza's aura. In an instant, his palms began to sweat, and his legs trembled slightly.
Kakashi noticed Sasuke's panic and immediately wanted to comfort him.
But Naruto placed one hand on Sasuke's shoulder.
"Can you even do it, twig?"
Sasuke instantly felt his blood surge from the soles of his feet to his head.
Thanks a freaking lot!
Naruto, meanwhile, felt disappointed. He still didn't awaken it after that?
"Oh? You still have time to fight among yourselves?"
Suddenly, Zabuza appeared between the three of them. Kakashi's scalp went numb, and he immediately shouted for everyone to scatter.
But Sakura did the opposite. She charged straight at Zabuza, trying to wrap her arms completely around him!
Zabuza clicked his tongue disdainfully. He swung his arm in a wide arc, sending his greatsword sweeping horizontally toward Sakura!
Sakura lowered her body and narrowly dodged the fatal strike. She successfully hugged Zabuza and used her body weight to pin him firmly in place.
She actually intended to immobilize Zabuza with her body!
Sakura said expressionlessly, "Now."
Naruto's real body, which had flashed to the side, shouted inwardly, Holy crap! This girl may keep quiet, but when she makes a move, she sure makes it count. Her fighting style is completely unhinged!
But he, Kakashi, and Sasuke all reacted at the same time, pulling out their kunai and charging fiercely at Zabuza.
Kakashi was the fastest. Despite his shock, he activated the Body Flicker Technique and stabbed viciously toward Zabuza.
Zabuza narrowed his eyes and drove his elbow hard into Sakura's forehead, but she did not react at all.
Just then, Naruto pulled out the extra-long kunai he had bought and swept it across together with Sakura!
"Splash!" Sakura and Zabuza simultaneously transformed into two puddles of water!
Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu!
This was Sakura's backup plan. After they got off the boat, she had found an opportunity to cast the jutsu, while her real body, like Naruto's clone, hid in the rear.
This was one of the results of Sakura's cultivation over the past while. Inspired by the original Naruto, she had resolutely chosen a path similar to Naruto's, first learning the highly practical Water Clone Technique.
This would give her an extremely high margin for error in battle.
At that moment, Sakura's real body took the ninja tool pouch from Naruto's clone in the rear and set traps around the area.
She wanted to find an opportunity to snipe Haku, preferably capturing him alive. Killing him would work too.
Naruto's clone also began setting things up. He marveled inwardly, Is this what a veteran Soul Game player's overall perspective looks like?
On the other side, at the main battlefield, Zabuza did not pause for even a moment after his rhythm was disrupted. He summoned another Water Clone, intending to lure Kakashi in.
Kakashi successfully circled behind the clone Zabuza, only for the real Zabuza to circle behind him again, making Kakashi's heart tighten.
Just then, another change occurred.
Naruto pressed the extra-long kunai against Zabuza's back. "Don't move. If I stab downward from my height, your chrysanthemum is finished."
Incidentally, Naruto was underdeveloped at this age, and his height only barely reached Zabuza's waist.
So he was aiming at Zabuza's butt...
"Naruto, I told you to stay back. You're no match for him right now!" Kakashi shouted anxiously. In his eyes, given Naruto's current temperament, pulling off something like this was still too much for him.
"Heh heh, brat." Zabuza sneered without turning his head. "What kind of person do you think I am? You think I'd fear a threat from a little beanpole like you?"
"Guess killing a few people got you feeling cocky." Naruto's lips twisted. "Let me put it this way: this move is the secret art of Konoha taijutsu, personally taught by Kakashi of the Sharingan. I guarantee it'll skewer you from the inside out in one second."
Well, although Naruto in this timeline had never experienced Thousand Years of Death, he had watched the original series.
From Earth, trained by Kakashi—yo, ro-shi-ku~
Zabuza finally began to take the brat before him seriously.
Not because of the threat at his back, but because of the way he spoke.
He was relaxed and carefree throughout, as if he were not in the middle of a brutal battle to the death, but taking part in a spring outing.
How can he be so calm? Was he modified somehow, leaving him without emotions? Or is he like me, someone who has killed countless people? Zabuza could not help but wonder.
Zabuza observed Sasuke beside him for a while longer. At this moment, Sasuke was not completely dumbfounded, but he was certainly left gaping in astonishment.
He had also been shocked by several rounds of moves from Naruto and Sakura, forgetting to act in the blink of an eye.
This brat is the most normal one after all, Zabuza thought. He had finally found a touch of reality in Sasuke.
It's not like every brat I meet is going to be a freak like Haku, right?
Besides, Haku doesn't have this kind of temperament either, does he?
In truth, Zabuza was not the only one questioning his life at this moment.
Kakashi radiated a calm despair.
Can't you just let me have a quiet one-on-one fight with Zabuza?!
Before you continue