First Battle with Zabuza

The intense killing intent combined with the surrounding mist made everyone present instantly tense up.

"So this is the real strength of a jonin... just how much did Kakashi-sensei hold back during the exam to let us pass?" Naruto felt the fierce killing intent, his legs even starting to tremble.

"Don't worry, as long as we get through this battle, ordinary levels of killing intent will have almost no effect on us. Don't let Sasuke's calm use of ninjutsu fool you—his legs are shaking too..." Nanfeng said after glancing at the trembling Naruto.

Naruto turned his head and found that Sasuke was in a similar state. For some reason, he felt the atmosphere around them was much lighter than before.

"Hey, that... Demon Zabuza, are you broke?" Nanfeng's voice came again. Hearing his words, not only Naruto and Sasuke's eyes went wide, but even Kakashi, not far away, had a strange look in his eyes.

"You little brat, do you want to die that badly?" Momochi Zabuza's tone grew icy, and at the same time, the killing intent bearing down on Nanfeng peaked!

"Definitely! I mean, we don't have much money either, but at least we're wearing clothes. You're out here wrapped in bandages... Could it be that wandering ninja treatment is this bad? Or are you just so weak that you can only take low-level missions to get by?" Nanfeng shrugged, seemingly unfazed by Zabuza's killing intent.

Hearing Nanfeng's words, even Kakashi cracked a smile, and the two kids burst out laughing. The solemn, murderous atmosphere Zabuza had painstakingly built was effortlessly shattered by Nanfeng.

But was it really that simple? Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply, as if he had seen something!

He knew it—Nanfeng couldn't stay calm under such tangible killing intent. The calm on his face just now was entirely an act, sustained by the pain from his physical injuries.

"Relax, don't forget who I am." Catching Sasuke's gaze, Nanfeng gave him a reassuring look. His hand covered the wound on his thigh where a kunai had pierced it, and with a green glow of chakra, the injury healed completely.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing treatment of the wounded. Attribute Point +1!" Hearing the system prompt, Nanfeng felt a bit frustrated!

It had been so long since he'd used this method to farm Attribute Points. He never thought his first mission outside the village would force him to relive the hardships he'd endured to build up his strength back then.

Thinking of this, Nanfeng's gaze toward Zabuza turned vicious.

Kakashi also noticed Nanfeng's earlier action, feeling deeply gratified: "To go this far for a comrade, Nanfeng truly is a worthy Successor of the Will of Fire. Next time I report to the Hokage-sama, I'll make sure to mention this specifically."

"A medical ninja? But how much combat power can a medical ninja really have?" Zabuza's figure appeared beside Nanfeng, the Kubikiribōchō swinging toward his head with fierce momentum.

"Just a reminder, Tsunade-sama is also a medical ninja. Would you say her combat power is weak?" Nanfeng reacted quickly, barely blocking Zabuza's sneak attack with a kunai!

Feeling the force transmitted through the Kubikiribōchō, Zabuza was somewhat surprised.

Against this brat, he'd used nearly half his strength. Logically, a genin shouldn't possess this level of power!

"Don't underestimate us!" Nanfeng leaped back to create distance, rapidly forming hand seals to launch the Great Fireball Technique.

His hand seal speed was fast—five seals per second. While not as insane as Itachi Uchiha's, it was still top-tier across the ninja world.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" Sasuke also reacted. Under the A-rank Ninjutsu, the surrounding mist thinned slightly. Meanwhile, a large number of Naruto's Shadow Clones charged forward, using their numbers to force Zabuza back a step.

"Sharingan... You're the last of the Uchiha Clan?" Seeing Sasuke's eyes, Zabuza's pupils contracted slightly.

"That's right. My students aren't as simple as you think. But bullying kids with Tokubetsu Jonin-level strength is a bit much. Your opponent should be me!" Kakashi also revealed his crimson Sharingan, three tomoe slowly spinning.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!" Zabuza moved quickly. Thanks to the battlefield's environment, his Water Style was even more effective.

Kakashi leaped back, completing three hand seals in an instant and slamming his hands to the ground. A dog-headed Earth Wall completely blocked the Water Dragon Bullet.

But it wasn't over. Zabuza's figure vanished instantly, using the brief moment the Earth Wall blocked line of sight to rush in front of Kakashi. The Kubikiribōchō pierced through the Earth Wall and struck Kakashi's figure from a blind spot.

However, Zabuza didn't look pleased. From the feel of the blade, he knew he'd hit a Shadow Clone.

Sure enough, Kakashi's body turned to smoke, and the real Kakashi, hidden in the shadows, charged out. But Zabuza was ready, kicking Kakashi into the water!

"Strange... why is this water so heavy..." Kakashi struggled to surface, looking at the water beneath him with confusion.

"Water Style: Water Prison Technique!" Zabuza formed seals with a savage grin, trapping Kakashi in a massive water prison. Then he turned his bloodthirsty gaze to Nanfeng and the other two.

"Looks like things are getting bad... Kakashi-sensei really is pathetic!" Nanfeng said, a bit exasperated as he watched Kakashi trapped in the water prison.

"Hmph, I got trapped because I was worried about you three getting ambushed!" Kakashi couldn't speak, but his eyes clearly wanted to kill Nanfeng.

"Friends, it looks like the real test of this mission is here. Let's take the chance to free Kakashi-sensei from the water prison—if he's in there too long, he might drown!" Nanfeng's hands flew through hand seals, and Naruto and Sasuke quickly moved into action.

Relying purely on ninjutsu, they had no chance of defeating Zabuza. But don't forget—besides the few ninjutsu he knew, Nanfeng also had abilities from the system!

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