Zabuza: This Is Too Hard, I Can't Learn It!

The next day, the weather was clear and sunny.

When Araki arrived at the entrance to the Mizukage Building, he found that Zabuza was already waiting there. What was unusual was that he, too, had a longsword strapped to his back.

"So you've finally decided to learn swordsmanship from me?"

Araki asked with a gratified expression.

In front of Araki, Zabuza could not maintain his usual aloof demeanor. He explained,

"I went to see Brother Yagura yesterday. He suggested that I practice swordsmanship to improve my offensive ability. He also said he believed I could wield a ninja blade in the future."

At this point, Zabuza was visibly excited, and a suspicious flush appeared on his cheeks.

Is Karatachi Yagura's Talk no Jutsu really this powerful? Does he just dare to say things like that? Zabuza is still just a child!

Araki grumbled inwardly for a moment, then stiffly changed the subject.

"So you already met him yesterday. Did he teach you that high-level ninjutsu he promised?"

"Not yet." Zabuza's tone was slightly unnatural. "Brother Yagura said that although the Water Dragon Bullet was very powerful, it did not fit my current ninjutsu set at all. If someone had to use it, Captain Kisame would be more suitable than me. So he told me to think it over and choose again after I learned the three ninjutsu issued by the Ninja Academy."

After hearing that, Araki thought it over carefully and felt that what Karatachi Yagura had said made no sense at all.

Zabuza's current ninjutsu consisted of the C-rank Water Clone Technique and the D-rank Hidden Mist Technique and Body Flicker Technique. There were plenty of tactical combinations available. He could completely use Water Clones and the Hidden Mist Technique to disrupt the enemy while the real body hid to one side and prepared a Water Dragon Bullet!

How was that incompatible?

Karatachi Yagura was a dignified jonin. Was he deceiving a child?

Or was this brat Zabuza trying to fool him?

Araki stared suspiciously at Zabuza's eyes beneath his brow ridge until Zabuza uncomfortably turned his head away.

"Haha, you lost! Hurry up and tell me what really happened."

"It's nothing. The Water Dragon Technique was just too hard. I didn't learn it yesterday."

Zabuza's voice grew smaller and smaller.

He would never admit that he had not even memorized the hand seal sequence for the Water Dragon Bullet yesterday!

Just as Araki was about to keep teasing Zabuza, Kisame Hoshigaki walked out of the Mizukage Building with a small scroll in his hand.

"Captain!"

"Captain Kisame!"

After greeting him, Araki asked curiously,

"Captain, what's our first mission?"

Araki was highly interested in their first mission, or rather, in Kirigakure's D-rank missions.

After all, in the anime, D-rank missions in Konoha of the Land of Fire were things like pulling weeds, finding cats, and finding dogs—tasks that seemed utterly meaningless.

Even setting aside their difficulty, those missions clearly did not suit Kirigakure's style!

This was the village of the Bloody Mist!

What would it look like if a group of people were chasing a fat cat down the street?

Wouldn't they be afraid that the Third Mizukage would step in and blow away both the people and the cat?

"Hunting!"

Kisame Hoshigaki grinned, and a cold glint flashed across his sharp teeth.

"Hunting?"

Neither Araki nor Zabuza understood.

"This is the most common D-rank mission in the village," Kisame explained. "After all, we are an island nation, and our specialty is all kinds of unusual fish. Some nobles and wealthy people want to eat certain highly troublesome and valuable fish, so they come to the village to post missions and leave them to us."

"I see."

Araki nodded to show that he understood.

This mission truly fit Mist Village's characteristics.

"Our target this time is a Black Sea Sturgeon. It is somewhat aggressive. Follow me!"

Kisame Hoshigaki tucked the mission scroll into his clothes, turned, and began running toward the western shore.

Araki slung his sword across his back and followed with Zabuza, one after the other.

"Did you learn the ninjutsu I told you to study yesterday?"

On the way to their destination, Kisame asked.

"I did. I'm currently getting familiar with how to use the Body Flicker Technique."

As Araki spoke, he lightly sprang the chakra beneath his feet, and his body suddenly accelerated, appearing one pace ahead of Kisame.

"Very good. With this level of chakra control," Kisame praised, "being able to use the Body Flicker Technique for everyday travel means you have already mastered it. As for combat, it places excessively high demands on your neural reactions. That is not something a genin should be considering."

After giving Araki some guidance, he turned to Zabuza. "What about you?"

"I already collected the scrolls, but I haven't started learning them."

Zabuza replied in a muffled voice.

Kisame had guessed as much and advised him, "Learning ninjutsu of too high a rank early in your genin years is not necessarily a good thing. It will consume too much of your energy. Once you become a chunin or even a jonin, you will find it very simple. We only have one month to take on safer missions while giving you time to train, so make sure you seize this opportunity."

"I understand, Captain."

Zabuza nodded, deciding not to keep stubbornly wrestling with the Water Dragon Bullet. Learning the three C-rank and D-rank ninjutsu first was the proper course of action.

The place where Black Sea Sturgeon often appeared was not far from them. After sprinting for about half an hour, they stopped at the edge of a cliff.

Calling it a cliff was somewhat exaggerated. It was only a little over ten meters above the sea, and its sides were uneven, with footholds everywhere.

Led by Kisame, Araki and Zabuza made several leaps and landed on the sea below.

Only then did they discover that there was actually a pitch-black cave at the foot of the cliff. Its entrance was a little over a meter wide, and sounds resembling roars occasionally came from within. They could not tell whether it was the wind or some kind of animal.

"This is the place!"

Kisame pointed at the cave and said, "Black Sea Sturgeon dislike light and often seek out dark caves as habitats. This is one of the fishing spots we discovered."

"This..."

Looking at the cave, Araki was at a loss.

A cave of that size was too cramped for a person to crawl into, leaving no room to move. But if they did not go inside, neither he nor Zabuza currently knew any ninjutsu that could force the fish out.

He glanced at Zabuza and found him equally silent.

"How about... using Explosive Tags?"

Araki's eyes lit up as he came up with an idea.

"That could work." Zabuza nodded, also pleased at having found a solution. Then he noticed Araki was still staring at him and asked in confusion, "Why are you looking at me? Throw an Explosive Tag!"

"Then give me an Explosive Tag first!"

Araki was also confused. What was this kid spacing out for? Hurry up and take out the tools!

"You don't have any Explosive Tags?"

Zabuza's tone was full of disbelief.

"Who would buy something that expensive?"

Araki replied as though it were perfectly natural.

"Then why did you ask me for one?"

Zabuza clutched his chest, feeling as though he were about to die of anger.

"Didn't you already latch onto a rich patron? It's just an Explosive Tag! Compared to a B-rank ninjutsu, it's pocket change~"

Araki waved a hand.

P.S. I hope everyone can leave a comment. Even just a punctuation mark or a number is fine. Let me know someone is reading. Thanks!