No, You're Not Mistaken

"Don't worry, old man! We'll definitely protect you and make sure you finish building that bridge!" Naruto promised loudly.

Sasuke remained silent, but his hand quietly gripped the ninja tool pouch at his waist. Protecting the client to complete the mission was a ninja's duty, but more importantly, fighting stronger enemies was the best way to test his own strength.

Ling Xuan did not participate in their conversation; his Eye of Truth was analyzing the dense fog before him in a way no one else could comprehend.

[Environmental Scan: Fog composition abnormal. Water molecules contain chakra particles at a density higher than normal levels, with properties leaning toward Water Release. This fog will not only affect vision but also interfere with conventional chakra perception.]

[Inference: This is not a purely natural phenomenon, but rather the result of high-level Water Release ninja activity in the Land of Waves, where their chakra has influenced the regional environment over many years.]

The small boat finally docked, and as the group stepped onto the land of the Land of Waves, an atmosphere of desolation and oppression rushed toward them.

The streets were empty, most of the shops on both sides were shuttered, and the few pedestrians who passed by were sallow and thin, their eyes filled with numbness and fear.

When they saw Tazuna and the ninjas behind him, they dodged away as if they were seeing a plague.

This country was already sick, terminally ill.

"Let's go, my house is not far ahead." Tazuna pulled down his straw hat and led the group toward the depths of the village.

The team marched along a quiet forest path, the surroundings so unnervingly still that not even the chirping of insects or birds could be heard.

"Ah!" Naruto suddenly yelled, abruptly pulling out a kunai and throwing it into the bushes nearby.

"There's someone there!" he shouted nervously.

As it turned out, a startled rabbit darted out of the bushes and ran away quickly.

"Naruto! You idiot! Don't scare yourself!" Sakura yelled at him in anger.

Kakashi walked forward helplessly and checked the bushes: "Naruto, calm down. I know you're all nervous, but overreacting will only waste your stamina and mental energy."

"But... I really felt like someone was watching us..." Naruto defended himself, feeling aggrieved.

"No, your feeling was correct," a calm voice rang out.

It was Ling Xuan.

Everyone's eyes focused on him.

Ling Xuan's gaze was fixed on a dense forest to the rear left of the team. His expression did not change, but Kakashi and Sasuke, who knew him well, could sense an unprecedented level of vigilance emanating from him.

"Ever since we landed, a powerful chakra has been following us," Ling Xuan said slowly. "The opponent is very cautious, staying at the edge of our perception range, but his killing intent is already so thick that it has begun to affect the surrounding creatures."

Kakashi's eyes instantly turned sharp. He knew Ling Xuan's sensory abilities were extraordinary, but he hadn't expected them to be this precise. In fact, he had sensed it long ago, but he hadn't expected the opponent to lose patience so quickly.

"Everyone, take defensive positions!" Kakashi commanded in a low voice, his left hand slowly rising to rest on his forehead protector.

No sooner had he spoken than a sharp, piercing sound whistled through the air!

Whoosh!

A Kubikiribōchō, huge to the point of absurdity, came spinning through the air with the momentum to sever everything in its path, slamming into a tree in front of the group and vibrating with a dull hum.

Immediately following, a figure appeared silently on the hilt of the Kubikiribōchō.

It was a tall man with bandages wrapped around his face, revealing only a pair of cold, cruel eyes. He was bare-chested, wearing camouflage pants, with bandages wrapped around his neck and arms.

Most striking of all was the Kirigakure forehead protector on his head, with a horizontal scratch through the symbol—the mark of a rogue ninja.

A cold, bloody killing intent, as if emanating from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, instantly enveloped the entire area.

Naruto felt his breath hitch, his legs feeling as heavy as lead and unable to move. Sakura was so terrified that her face turned pale, and she nearly fainted. Even the usually arrogant Sasuke felt a soul-deep tremor in the face of such terrifying killing intent.

This was no Chunin.

This was... a monster from an entirely different dimension!

"Zabuza Momochi..." Kakashi looked at the newcomer, pronouncing his name syllable by syllable. "The Demon of the Mist, one of the former Seven Ninja Swordsmen."

"Oh? I didn't expect to run into the famous Sharingan Kakashi here." Zabuza's voice was hoarse and low, filled with mockery. "Perfect. I'll take your head along with that old man's as a trophy to bring back."

Sharingan Kakashi?

A storm surged in the hearts of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura simultaneously. Sasuke, in particular, stared at Kakashi, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

Their teacher, who was always lazy and read strange books, actually possessed the Sharingan.

Ling Xuan's Eye of Truth had completed a high-speed scan the moment Zabuza appeared.

[Target: Zabuza Momochi. Identity: Kirigakure rogue ninja, former Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Chakra Level: Elite Jonin.]

[Ability Analysis: Proficient in Water Release ninjutsu and assassination techniques. Especially skilled in the Silent Killing Technique. Powerful taijutsu and ruthless swordsmanship.]

[Weapon Analysis: Kubikiribōchō. Material: High-density chakra-conducting metal. Characteristics: Huge, heavy, possesses the ability to self-repair by absorbing the iron from blood.]

[Comprehensive Evaluation: Extremely dangerous. His combat experience and killing techniques far exceed those of the Demon Brothers encountered earlier; he is a top-tier killing machine in the truest sense.]

"All of you," Kakashi's voice became incredibly serious as he slowly, inch by inch, pushed up the forehead protector covering his left eye. "Protect Mr. Tazuna and fall back! Do not interfere under any circumstances."

"This is... a battle between him and me."

When the forehead protector was pushed away completely, revealing a scarlet eye with three tomoe exposed to the air, Sasuke felt an unprecedented shock.

This is... the Uchiha clan's Sharingan! Why... why is it in Kakashi-sensei's eye?!

"You should feel honored that I have to use this eye, Zabuza," Kakashi said in a low voice.

"I am honored indeed!" Zabuza sneered, his hands moving rapidly through hand seals. "Then let me show you what true terror is!"

"Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Technique!"

In an instant, the already dense fog surrounding them grew thick and viscous, turning into something almost tangible; visibility was completely stripped away, leaving them unable to see even their own hands.

What was even more terrifying was that this mist was saturated with Zabuza's chakra, capable of thoroughly disrupting a ninja's sense of direction and chakra perception.

Within this impenetrable fog, Zabuza was a ghost god who reigned over everything!

"Eight locations..." Zabuza's cold voice seemed to emanate from every direction at once.

"Throat, spine, lungs, liver, jugular vein, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart... little brats, which part would you like to be sliced open first?"