Kakashi anxiously prayed from inside the Water Prison that they wouldn't do anything foolish.
"Oh? Go ahead and try, then. That kid over there who uses strange techniques is probably the strongest of you, right? He and Kakashi are both tied up with me. What can the three of you possibly do?" Zabuza said arrogantly.
Naruto glanced at Tazuna, waiting for his answer.
"To tell the truth, all this happened because of me... I'm already satisfied that I survived the last attack. Go on. Fight as much as you like, and don't worry about me!"
The cold, callous act faded from Tazuna's face, and he smiled at Naruto.
"Kids will be kids. They just love playing these stupid ninja games." Zabuza hefted Kubikiribōchō and slowly walked toward them, toying with them like a hunter playing with his prey.
Kakashi remembered a chilling rumor about Kirigakure. Ten years ago, Kirigakure's graduation exam had forced students to kill one another. But that year's exam had been so horrific that the village had been forced to change the rules.
That year, a child who hadn't even become a ninja had killed everyone and survived.
That child was Zabuza...
By then, Zabuza had already made the first move, kicking Sasuke away.
"So this is a Jonin..." Sasuke knelt on the ground, the coppery taste of blood filling his mouth. In the end, he couldn't hold it back and spat out blood.
Jimo watched from the side, effortlessly fending off Zabuza's clone.
The situation was already nothing like the story he knew. After Zabuza had been badly injured by him twice, he'd now created two clones, so he couldn't have much Chakra left.
The Water Prison Technique probably wouldn't hold much longer.
As Jimo kept Zabuza occupied, he occasionally fired Chakra bullets at the Water Prison holding Kakashi.
"It's useless! You'll never break the Water Prison with an attack that weak!" the clone restraining Kakashi taunted.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke used Shadow Clones and the Fūma Shuriken: Shadow Windmill to successfully send Naruto's real body to the edge of the Water Prison.
Naruto's Kunai flew out, forcing Zabuza to pull his arm back.
The instant his arm left the Water Prison, it could no longer maintain its shape and collapsed.
Kakashi intercepted Zabuza's attack on Naruto just in time.
The two jumped apart and formed Hand Seals so quickly that their hands blurred.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
Two water dragons rose from the lake and coiled around each other.
"Explode!" Jimo clenched his fist, and Zabuza's water dragon burst apart in midair, scattering into raindrops.
"How is that possible?" Zabuza stared at Jimo in the distance, unable to understand how he'd destroyed his technique.
"Nice work, Jimo!" Kakashi seized the opening and sent the water dragon surging toward Zabuza. It slammed into the water, throwing up a wave several meters high.
When the mist cleared, Zabuza stood unsteadily on the water, panting.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Zabuza stared in shock at Kakashi, who moved just like him—maybe even faster.
"Can he... predict the future? That's not the jutsu I was about to use!"
Kakashi's technique struck first. A massive wave slammed Zabuza onto the shore.
Zabuza was now breathing weakly, his eyes bloodshot. He glared at Kakashi and Jimo, who stood nearby.
That brat had made him lose the initiative.
"Zabuza, you're finished..."
Before Kakashi could throw his Kunai, two Senbon pierced Zabuza's neck.
"Indeed, he's finished..." A masked person stood on a tree branch. No one knew how long they'd been there.
Kakashi went over to Zabuza and felt for his pulse. It had indeed stopped.
"Thanks for your help. It gave me the chance I needed to kill him."
Kakashi studied the pattern on the mask and the ninja insignia that identified them.
"Kirigakure Hunter-nin?"
"As expected of Kakashi. You even recognized that." The masked person clapped in praise.
As Naruto fumed that someone about his age had taken down Zabuza, Jimo's eyes roamed over the masked person.
"No doubt about it! That figure! There's no way that's a guy like in the original!"
Jimo felt as if he'd uncovered an earth-shattering secret. Zabuza was into raising a child!
What a monster! Raising a wife with his own hands! That was the sort of thing that could only happen in an anime world!
While Jimo was distracted, the masked person had already left with Zabuza.
"Jimo... has that ninja... gone far?" Kakashi whispered in Jimo's ear. Jimo had already moved to Kakashi's side and kept watch.
"Going by their presence, they're far away..."
The moment he finished speaking, Kakashi passed out. Fortunately, Jimo reacted quickly and caught him.
"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura..." Jimo rasped, forcing the words out. "I'm leaving what comes next to you."
The three kids hadn't understood when they heard a thud. Jimo's body went limp and collapsed to the ground.
Fortunately, Naruto had a huge amount of Chakra and created several clones to carry Kakashi and Jimo along the way. Sasuke kept watch, while Sakura protected Tazuna.
The group hurried onward and finally reached Tazuna's house before dark.
After a night of rest, Kakashi and Jimo gradually woke up.
"Something about it just doesn't add up..." Kakashi reviewed the battle.
"If they only needed proof of his identity, they could've taken his head back..."
"Sensei... Zabuza might not actually be dead..." Jimo said, pretending to be casual. His words left the three kids trembling.
"That's possible. Only one Hunter-nin showed up. That person was probably Zabuza's companion."
Everyone looked shocked.
"Then why did we let them leave?" Sakura asked anxiously.
"We couldn't have stopped them. Kakashi-sensei was already extremely weak at the time..." Jimo said with a bitter smile.
"And I was in about the same shape... I did well just to keep going until they were far away before passing out." Jimo spoke as if he already knew Sakura was about to say, "But what about you, Jimo?"
What Jimo said was true. The two Kamehamehas had nearly drained all the Ki from his body. That move that destroyed the water dragon had taken a tremendous amount of energy. He had to compress a great deal of Ki into those energy bullets to keep them from dissipating too quickly.
"So! While I'm unable to move, you need to train hard!"
Hearing Kakashi's words, Sakura grumbled, "But that opponent was even tough for you..."
"Sakura, don't forget who helped me when I was trapped in the Water Prison!"
Kakashi looked at Naruto and Sasuke.
"You're all growing rapidly, especially you, Naruto!"
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