The Mysterious Crowbar Man

The crackle of electricity and the sound of impacts shattered the eerie silence. Most of the wandering warriors and Kirigakure ninja on the battlefield collapsed in a heap, while Zabuza, Tenzo, and the others on the other battlefield also paused for a moment.

The figure had appeared and vanished in a flash. He had come swiftly, and when he disappeared, he was just as quick as lightning, leaving no trace.

Chino couldn't shake the feeling that Zi Xu was the one who had unleashed that thunderous strike. His chakra and presence hadn't felt quite right, but for some reason, she was sure of it.

Thinking this, she looked around again. At last, she spotted Zi Xu at the edge of the battlefield. He seemed perfectly fine, though for some reason, he gave off a dispirited air and looked thoroughly unwilling to be there—like an office worker dragged back to work during a vacation.

She found it a little strange, but could only dismiss her suspicions about Zi Xu. Remembering what Tenzo had told her earlier, she waved to Hatsumi, who was nearby. There was no way they could help Tenzo with their current strength. The only thing they could do now was avoid holding him back.

Zi Xu—or rather, the Silent Clone—watched Chino and the others flee with dead fish eyes, recalling what Zi Xu's main body had told him.

"Don't make too much of a scene. Just act the way I usually do. When it counts, protect those two. They're valuable people in the organization. Run out of the encirclement with them, and afterward, I'll reward you with two days of slacking off."

At the thought of getting two days off, his listless face came back to life. He suspected it was just a pie-in-the-sky promise from a capitalist trying to squeeze more work out of him, but he decided to trust Zi Xu's main body. After all, Zi Xu wasn't exactly a demon... right?

With a burst of speed, the Silent Clone drove his feet into the ground and chased after Chino and the others, propelled by the rebound. He had inherited some of Zi Xu's physical abilities, and even a fraction of them was enough to handle the situation at hand.

Watching Zi Xu and the others disappear into the distance, Tenzo finally felt the weight lift from his chest. He breathed out softly and gave them a "gentle" smile.

"All right. Now I can give you a proper fight." His hands moved so quickly through the seals that they left afterimages. His gaze held not a hint of emotion as he faced the Kirigakure ninja who were still determined to keep him there.

"Wood Release: Forest Creation Technique!"

Trees burst from the ground beneath Tenzo and the others, growing at incredible speed. Like a forest uprooted and raised in an instant, they created a small woodland. The tangled roots twisted as if alive, attacking the Kirigakure ninja who had arrived as reinforcements.

Within this small forest, he became its sole master. The plants bowed toward Tenzo as if he were their king. The Kirigakure ninja caught within the forest were shocked to discover that the plants around them were steadily draining their Chakra.

Zabuza and Bai also got serious. Together, they unleashed their techniques against the ninja surrounding them.

"Ghost Blade Cold Strike!"

Bai used Ice Release, spreading a thin frost across the area for hundreds of meters. Hatsumi, who was fleeing, clearly felt the chill behind her, along with the fresh scent of trees.

A blue dragon appeared behind Zabuza, several times larger than the Water Dragon Bullet the other ninja had formed earlier. Empowered by Ice Release, it transformed into a savage ice dragon. The dragon charged at the ninja with a bone-deep chill, its icy fangs swallowing them whole. Zabuza then drew Kubikiribōchō while Bai swung her Blizzard sword, shattering the ninja sealed within the ice.

Their attacks were powerful, but the Kirigakure ninja seemed as if they'd been pumped full of adrenaline. More and more ninja poured out of the village to stop them from escaping. Worse, Tenzo, Zabuza, and the others had already used up most of their Chakra. A prolonged fight would put them at a severe disadvantage.

"Cough. Is Kirigakure trying to start a war with Konoha? Have they gone mad, sending out so many ninja?" Tenzo stood atop a tree, panting as he watched the Kirigakure ninja below unleash all manner of elemental techniques at him. He was exhausted.

Zabuza snorted beside him.

"The Mizukage of this generation is strange. He's the one who created the Bloody Mist Village. Kirigakure can only move forward once he's eliminated..." he said coldly, firing another Water Dragon Bullet.

Tenzo and the others struggled more and more to hold their ground. They felt like they might really die here today—death by a thousand cuts.

"I'm sorry, Lord Zabuza. I can't stay by your side any longer..." Bai tossed aside her mask, her expression resolute. She seemed ready to use a forbidden technique—or perhaps she was bidding him farewell.

But Zi Xu wasn't about to let such a cliché scene play out. Somehow, he'd found a black cloak—in the Sealing Scroll—and carved a makeshift mask out of tree bark, leaving openings for his eyes. He'd wanted to find a suitable weapon, but after searching everywhere, he came up empty. Then he remembered the Crowbar he'd won in a lottery before, so he appeared before everyone in his cloak and mask, holding a red crowbar.

His appearance caught everyone's attention, including Bai's. The Kirigakure ninja couldn't tell whether this strange Crowbar Man was friend or foe, so they paused their attacks to watch him.

Electricity crackled wildly around the crowbar. A massive amount of Chakra, mixed with a little Natural Energy, poured into it, making the Thunder Beast more and more violent. Under Zi Xu's deliberate control, a hint of black gradually mixed into the lightning. By now, the Kirigakure ninja had figured out that this mysterious Crowbar Man was the one who'd attacked them earlier, and they all focused their attacks on Zi Xu.

Zi Xu gazed at the colorful techniques filling the sky. In the mist, they looked strangely beautiful, but he didn't dare let his guard down. He used the Body Flicker Technique over and over, leaving only a streak of lightning and fallen ninja in his wake. His figure flashed through the crowd, rampaging like a bolt of lightning as his powerful physique endured the strain the technique put on his body.

Seeing that the mysterious Crowbar Man didn't seem to be an enemy, Tenzo decided to use the chance to leave and meet up with Chino and the others.

"Hey, you there—uh, Crowbar friend. Thanks. We're heading out. If we meet again, I'll be sure to repay you!" Tenzo didn't waste the opportunity Zi Xu had created. His hands turned into branches, and he launched himself off the tree. The Kirigakure ninja had just used their techniques and were in their cooldown phase, so they could only watch helplessly as Tenzo escaped.

Zabuza and Bai nodded as well. A dense white mist rose around them. Bai took one last look at the mysterious Crowbar Man before disappearing into the mist alongside Zabuza.