What Ninjutsu Do You Want to Learn?

With Hinata attacking and Sasuke providing support from the side, the two were temporarily out of danger.

The old drunkard, however, was growing anxious as he watched them fall into a disadvantageous position.

"Don't worry. Kakashi is only letting himself be trapped because he wants us to gain some experience. You can trust in my strength; if I weren't using him to spar with my companions, he would be a dead man by now."

Naruto's voice rang out beside the old man's ear.

The old man glanced at Naruto with some surprise, but he immediately felt at ease.

Sasuke and Hinata combined were still no match for their opponent. Zabuza's combat experience was simply not something the two could compare to. Yet, every time Zabuza prepared to deliver a killing blow, a strange pressure would lock onto his body, causing him to stiffen for a split second and reveal an opening.

Who exactly is it? Could it be Kakashi? No, that's impossible. Glancing at Kakashi, who was still trapped in the water prison, Zabuza dismissed the thought. That left only one impossible answer. Zabuza looked toward Naruto, only to see him watching the scene with an expressionless face.

Let's test him.

Zabuza found another opening and moved to strike Hinata down. At that exact moment, a cold, eerie aura locked onto him, and the chakra within his body faltered. Zabuza kept his eyes fixed on Naruto.

This time, he clearly saw Naruto's eyes suddenly turn red.

This brat is trouble. Even though Zabuza had never seen it with his own eyes, he could guess what kind of chakra that was: a Tailed Beast.

A Jinchuriki? What is Konoha playing at, letting a Jinchuriki run around outside? Zabuza was shocked. In any village, a Jinchuriki was a nuclear weapon; anyone with a brain wouldn't let them wander about, especially not while they were still weak.

"As expected of a Jonin, you figured it out so quickly," Naruto remarked, slightly surprised.

"Brat, you're courting death." Regardless of who the boy was.

Zabuza charged directly toward Naruto.

The old man was startled, wondering why the fight had suddenly shifted toward them when it had been going so well.

Sasuke and Hinata were immediately worried—not for Naruto, but for their client. If he died, their mission would be a failure.

[Body Flicker Technique] Naruto didn't waste words; he vanished in a flicker and reappeared right before his opponent.

So fast.

Zabuza's pupils constricted instantly. He never imagined the boy would be this strong, and a chill washed over his entire body.

[Substitution Technique]

A punch landed, instantly shattering the wooden log.

Zabuza was sent flying backward by the force of the wind pressure.

What kind of monster is this? Zabuza was shocked. It was his first time seeing someone whose punch could generate the power of a C-rank ninjutsu.

The old man behind them had his mouth hanging wide open.

Wouldn't it be better to just play the role of a sparring partner? Naruto's voice echoed in Zabuza's ear, unheard by anyone else.

"Brat, who do you take me for! I am the Mist Ninja Jonin, the Demon Zabuza!" Zabuza's voice roared out.

Kakashi and the others were completely confused, unable to understand why he had suddenly become so angry.

Naruto looked at him with disdain.

[Tempest Kick, Circumference Sever] A massive wind blade flew out. Seeing the attack, Zabuza vanished instantly.

The wind blade swept past, and the large tree behind them collapsed instantly.

"He ran away." Naruto frowned.

Over at Kakashi's position, the Shadow Clone dissipated, and Kakashi broke free.

After sensing the area, Naruto couldn't help but frown.

"Haku isn't nearby."

Naruto's goal this time was the Ice Release, but it seemed the world was working against him. Haku hadn't appeared, and Zabuza's strength wasn't as weak as it had been depicted in the anime—or perhaps Kakashi had been holding back.

Naruto looked at Kakashi.

"Alright, let's continue with the mission."

Finding a small boat, Naruto and his group officially arrived in the Land of Waves.

Back at the old man's house, just as in the original story, Naruto and the others were not exactly welcomed. Or rather, ordinary people who had never seen a ninja in action had no idea how terrifying they could be.

Naruto had experienced the helplessness of ordinary people, so he didn't hold it against them. He headed out to prepare some food; as for eating here, the household was far too destitute, and Naruto truly couldn't get used to it.

Seeing Naruto leave, Hinata immediately followed, and Sasuke followed suit.

"Zabuza-sama, how are you?" Deep in the woods, Haku looked at Zabuza's condition with concern.

Damn that Jinchuriki brat. Zabuza was furious inside. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew that in that moment, he had been afraid.

"I'm fine, don't worry," he explained.

"Sir, do we still need to attack them?" Although Haku hadn't gone to fight, he didn't believe they could defeat someone capable of beating Zabuza to this state. But if Zabuza-sama required it, he was willing to offer his life.

"No rush. Our mission is to destroy the bridge. Let's wait a while." Zabuza shook his head; now was not the time to strike.

As for Naruto's side, catching fish was his specialty. Since they were by the sea, it went without saying that Naruto dove straight into the depths and caught several deep-sea fish.

After eating, the group very consciously began their training.

Kakashi arrived at Naruto's side.

"Naruto, do you not know any ninjutsu?" Kakashi asked with curiosity.

"I don't," Naruto replied indifferently.

"I will teach you." After a moment of thought, Kakashi took out a piece of chakra induction paper. After explaining how it worked, he asked Naruto to test his affinity so he could teach him a few practical ninjutsu.

The others were also curious about Naruto's affinity; Hinata and Sasuke ran over, and Sasuke, having already tested his own, was Lightning affinity.

Under the watchful eyes of the group, Naruto's affinity manifested as Lightning, Fire, Wind, Earth, and Water.

"Five affinities!" Everyone was astonished.

Although Kakashi also possessed all five affinities, he had cultivated them later in life, which was quite different from Naruto's innate talent.

Seeing that Naruto possessed all five, Sasuke couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

Due to the propaganda of the Hidden Leaf, the Third Hokage was considered the strongest Hokage in history, and his signature techniques were his combination ninjutsu; since the Hokage possessed all affinities, others naturally yearned for such versatility.

"This is the complete set of affinities!" Sasuke felt envious. A ninja's lifespan was generally short; unless they discovered they had all affinities during childhood testing and began training immediately, they wouldn't bother with other elements once they grew up. It was too much of a waste of time. Ninjas spent most of their lives in combat, and everyone understood the difference between being a jack-of-all-trades and being a master of one, but they simply lacked the time.

"Does that mean I can learn any ninjutsu?" Naruto looked at Kakashi curiously.

"That's right. Naruto, what kind of ninjutsu would you like to learn?" Kakashi asked.

What he didn't know was that Naruto had long since begun researching ninjutsu, but due to his own circumstances, he had never had the opportunity to use them. Furthermore, to Naruto, the act of performing hand seals before a battle was far too troublesome. With Naruto's speed, unless he was facing a powerhouse like Madara Uchiha, no one would ever be able to complete their hand seals in front of him.