Meeting

Deep within the forest, the mist was much thinner than out at sea; this wasn't the Land of Water, after all.

Naruto's figure streaked through the woods, silent and so fast he left only a golden afterimage.

He was already intimately familiar with every inch of this land, the location of every tree.

Several minutes later.

Naruto skillfully arrived at a hidden spot.

There, two figures lay in wait behind enormous trees.

Momochi Zabuza, tall and with half his face wrapped in bandages, leaned against a massive tree trunk.

His Kubikiribōchō, weighing about sixty pounds, was plunged into the earth beside him, its blade reflecting the faint forest light with an icy chill.

Zabuza crossed his arms, his exposed eyes sharp as he scanned the road outside through gaps in the foliage, a hint of barely perceptible irritation in them.

Standing quietly beside Zabuza was a handsome young man, his long hair tied back, with stray strands meticulously tucked away on either side, falling softly beside his cheeks.

It was someone Naruto knew very well: Haku.

"Too slow," Zabuza's voice was deep and hoarse, breaking the forest's silence. "Is this the efficiency of Konoha ninja? Or did those guys sense something?"

Haku tilted his head slightly, his voice soft and respectful. "Mr. Zabuza, please be patient. Based on the time the Demon Brothers failed, they should be entering this area soon."

After a brief pause, Haku added, "We just don't know who the opponent is this time."

According to Zabuza's previous investigation, Gato's persistent thorn in his side, the old bridge-builder Tazuna, had indeed gone to Konohagakure to hire ninja.

He had initially thought the pauper wouldn't be able to afford any decent ninja, but he hadn't expected him to be able to deal with the Demon Brothers who had intercepted them.

This unexpected turn of events forced Zabuza to come here himself.

The moment Haku finished speaking.

"No need to wait."

A calm voice suddenly came from the dense woods to their side and behind, without any warning.

"Hm?"

Zabuza's pupils constricted sharply, and almost by instinct, his hand instantly gripped the hilt of the Kubikiribōchō.

Haku moved before him, flashing silently yet incredibly swiftly to stand in front of Zabuza.

He already held several Senbon, glinting coldly, between his fingers.

Their gazes simultaneously shot sharply towards the source of the voice.

A blonde-haired boy stood opposite them, though no one knew when he had arrived. His expression was calm, his movements as casual as if he were out for a stroll.

"A ninja from Konoha?"

Zabuza saw Naruto's forehead protector, his voice filled with caution and a hint of humiliation at being approached so stealthily without his awareness.

He hadn't sensed the opponent's presence at all!

"Such stealth skills at such a young age... no wonder the Demon Brothers failed..." Zabuza narrowed his eyes slightly, suppressing the urge to attack immediately.

The opponent didn't seem to intend to attack right away; instead, he seemed to be... greeting them?

After all, if he truly wanted to fight, he wouldn't have spoken first, revealing his position, nor would his expression and movements be so relaxed.

Naruto ignored Zabuza's scrutiny and spoke plainly, his voice even. "Momochi Zabuza, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

"Haku, descendant of the Yuki Clan, user of the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai."

"You failed in your assassination attempt on the Mizukage and are trying to gather strength to return to Kirigakure and start a revolution again."

"Unfortunately, you can only obey the wealthy Gato now, handling his dirty work, and are unable to achieve your true aspirations."

"Currently, your target is Tazuna, or more accurately, to prevent the bridge from being completed, thereby maintaining Gato's economic control over the Land of Waves."

For a moment, the forest where the three stood was utterly silent.

A cold killing intent suddenly emanated from Zabuza, who spoke in a dangerously filled voice, "Brat, knowing too much isn't always a good thing!"

Zabuza felt a sense of shame as his scars were laid bare.

But Naruto seemed completely unfazed by the murderous intent and obvious threat.

He even took a couple of casual steps forward, his gaze passing through the battle-ready Haku to land directly on Zabuza behind him.

"Let's just get straight to it."

Naruto, having experienced countless reincarnations, understood one principle.

If you want to persuade someone, make them agree to do something, or prevent an event from happening.

You need the right time, the right place, and the right people.

Like now.

If Naruto wanted Zabuza to listen to him quietly, he had to persuade him at the right time, in the right place, and under the right conditions.

Otherwise, he would have to fight.

Only by defeating the opponent could he then use love to convert him.

This was neither the right time nor the right place.

So, a fight was the only option.

Naruto's dismissive attitude completely enraged Zabuza.

"You're asking for death!"

He roared, raising the massive Kubikiribōchō with a sudden surge. Dust and leaves swirled as the enormous blade sliced through the air, carrying a terrifying pressure as it swung directly at Naruto.

The power of this strike was enough to cleave through solid boulders with ease.

However, facing this fierce attack, Naruto merely shifted his body ever so slightly.

The movement was astonishingly small, yet the timing was terrifyingly precise.

The massive blade grazed past the tip of Naruto's nose, and the sharp wind from its passage merely stirred a few strands of hair on his forehead.

Throughout the entire process, Naruto's expression remained completely unfazed.

"What?!"

Zabuza was shocked that his full-power strike had been dodged so effortlessly.

But the blade had already been swung with full force, leaving him unable to defend.

And Naruto's counterattack came the instant Zabuza couldn't change his stance.

Without any hand seals, without using any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, it was simply a direct, lightning-fast punch that landed precisely on Zabuza's hand gripping the hilt of his sword!

"Ugh..."

Zabuza felt a sharp pain shoot up his arm, nearly causing him to drop the Kubikiribōchō.

With a muffled groan, Zabuza stumbled back several steps before regaining his balance, his eyes filled with disbelief.

This brat's Taijutsu and timing were simply bizarre!

At almost the same moment, Haku's attack was also launched!

Dozens of Senbon shot out silently, covering Naruto's vital points like a sudden storm, skillfully sealing off all possible escape routes.

This was quite similar in principle to the Uchiha-style Shuriken techniques.

Facing such an attack, Naruto didn't even bother to look intentionally.

He simply flicked his right hand forward casually, sending out a few Shuriken. They collided and ricocheted in the air, their trajectories incredibly tricky.

"Clang clang clang!"

After a series of crisp, dense collisions, all the Senbon Haku had fired were struck down to the ground, without a single one missed.