The moment Haori turned around, the Ninja Sword plunged viciously into his body.
But in the next instant, his body turned into a cloud of smoke, leaving only a log behind.
In the blink of an eye, the real Haori appeared behind the Mist shinobi. But the kunai in his hand stopped halfway through its thrust.
Whoosh—
The next moment, his kunai shot toward a puddle nearby, and a blush of red appeared in the water.
It immediately took human form and sprang to the side, while the Mist shinobi in front of Haori had become a puddle!
"Not bad with the Water Clone."
Haori gave a soft snort. These Mist shinobi really were as good at ambushes as ever.
If he hadn't once fought for his life against Kirigakure and gained plenty of experience fighting them, he might not have reacted so quickly.
His gaze swept over the area. The fog kept him from finding Rin and Kakashi, and he frowned.
He knew Madara would make a move, but he hadn't expected him to act so quickly.
But he didn't have time to dwell on it now. Since Kirigakure had targeted him, he had to be extremely careful.
"So it really is you!"
To Haori's surprise, the man he'd just injured landed and fixed his gaze on him.
At the same time, two more Mist shinobi appeared around him.
They didn't attack right away, but surrounded him instead.
Haori naturally noticed the Mist Anbu's stare, which left him puzzled.
But a moment later, he seemed to realize something.
The voice from earlier had sounded familiar, so he asked tentatively,
"Are you... Zabuza?"
Zabuza was about the same age as Haori and the others. Under Madara's control, Kirigakure had already entered the Bloody Mist era.
Madara simply hadn't taken things quite that far yet. Still, Zabuza had killed all his classmates and graduated successfully.
Haori had encountered him on the battlefield in the Land of Whirlpools. Haori had come off worse that time, since he'd been ambushed.
But Zabuza had paid dearly for making Haori suffer. Back then, Zabuza had already been hailed as a genius.
As luck would have it, he'd run into Haori, who had already awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
If Zabuza hadn't had someone cover his escape and been fast on his feet, he would have been left behind in the Land of Whirlpools that day.
"Looks like you still remember me."
Zabuza glanced at the wound on his shoulder, then spoke in a low voice.
"You still rely on your eyes to fight, just like always."
"Why don't you gouge them out?"
Haori gave a soft snort, then stopped paying Zabuza any attention.
"And who are you two? Don't tell me you're also some losers I beat in the Land of Whirlpools?"
"What an arrogant brat."
A tall Mist Anbu sneered, while the other spoke with equal disdain.
"Let's see if you're still so confident in a moment."
"This time..."
Zabuza had calmed down by now. He stared at Haori and said grimly,
"You won't have a chance!"
"Still trotting out the same old lines?"
Haori tilted his head, still smiling as he spoke.
"Remember last time? You and your teammates ambushed me too. If you hadn't been lucky, you'd have been left behind in the Land of Whirlpools."
"You—"
Zabuza gritted his teeth, ready to retort, but his expression suddenly changed.
Haori had used the Body Flicker Technique to appear right beside him, and the kunai in his hand came hurtling through the air!
Dirty trick!
Zabuza cursed inwardly. His attention was razor-sharp and his reflexes quick. The instant Haori moved, he dodged.
At the same time, the other two Mist shinobi reacted quickly. One of them immediately began weaving Hand Seals.
"Water Style: Water Turbulence!"
A roaring torrent surged toward Haori. He leaped up at once and narrowly evaded the rushing water.
But at that moment, the other Mist shinobi charged straight at Haori.
He drew his Ninja Sword in midair and swung it at Haori with precision.
Clang—
The sharp ring of metal striking metal rang through the forest.
Though Haori was defending himself in midair, the Sharingan let him see the attacker's movements precisely.
All he had to do was place his kunai in the path of the attack to block it!
"Damn Sharingan."
The Mist shinobi couldn't help cursing. It was no wonder the Uchiha Clan was so hated.
When your opponent could see the path of your attack, fighting them one-on-one was incredibly difficult unless you were faster or stronger.
And he had to stay on guard against the opponent's eyes at all times. No one knew when he might cast a genjutsu. That could be deadly!
Fortunately, they weren't acting alone. The instant Haori blocked the Mist shinobi's attack, Zabuza and the other man had already appeared behind him.
"Die!"
They raised their Ninja Swords high, their edges gleaming with a terrifying cold light even in the thick fog.
But before their blades could fall, they suddenly felt the chakra within the Haori before them surge chaotically.
The change immediately filled them with a sense of foreboding.
Boom—
In an instant, "Haori's" body exploded. The shockwave from the blast snapped the trees around them in two!
Smoke and fog mingled, making it even harder to see. The blast site was left in ruins.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Zabuza coughed as he got to his feet, his body covered in wounds. The tall Anbu beside him was in no better shape.
His mask had vanished, revealing a face like a shark's. The man was Kisame!
They both watched their surroundings warily. On the ground, a puddle was still gathering itself into a human shape. It was clearly someone from the Hozuki Clan.
"When did that brat...?"
They cursed inwardly. They truly hadn't noticed when Haori had used a Shadow Clone to switch places.
They knew the Uchiha were formidable, but they had confidence in their own abilities too.
Yet they had only just started fighting and hadn't even forced their opponent to use any ninjutsu, and already they'd suffered a heavy loss. They felt humiliated.
"I never thought I'd find people from both the Hozuki and Hoshigaki families here. You don't look like you're doing too well, though."
Just then, Haori's voice rang out from within the fog and smoke. It sounded far away, yet at the same time seemed to echo right beside their ears.
"Guess who I'll attack first?"
"Quit showing off. You dare run your mouth in the midst of my technique?"
The Hozuki shinobi had completely recovered. His clan's secret technique meant he wasn't worried about physical attacks.
Still, he remained on guard and quickly searched the fog for Haori.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
But Haori gave him no chance to search. A massive fire dragon suddenly roared toward the three of them!
Zabuza and the others leaped up at once, charging straight toward where the fire dragon had appeared.
But beneath the Hozuki shinobi, the ground suddenly split open, and Haori burst out in an instant!
At the same time, the Three Tomoe in his eyes began to spin.
"Damn it!"
The sudden attack caught them all off guard. The Hozuki shinobi couldn't even close his eyes in time!
Buzz—
A strange chakra flowed through the Sharingan and swiftly sank into the Hozuki shinobi's brain.
In that instant, his mind went blank. All that remained in his consciousness was a pair of crimson Three Tomoe, slowly spinning.
Only when a cool sensation brushed his neck did he come back to his senses.