"Wait!"
As the shout rang out, a three- or four-meter-long shark-shaped water projectile burst out of the woods and shot toward Zabuza and the Mist Ninja Anbu.
Kakashi Hatake whipped around at the sound. Seeing the shark-shaped projectile rushing toward him, he immediately leaped backward without a second thought. The projectile continued straight toward the Mist Ninja Anbu, who was trying to carry Zabuza away.
"Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome!"
Faced with this sudden attack, the Mist Ninja Anbu had no choice but to stop trying to carry Zabuza away. He formed a hand seal in front of himself with his right hand, and a shield of ice instantly appeared before him and Zabuza. The water projectile slammed into it, sending water spraying in every direction.
"Who's there?!"
Kakashi put some distance between himself and the attack, then called out coldly. He quickly moved to Naruto and the others to protect them in case anything happened. The Mist Ninja Anbu and Zabuza, who had been stopped by the water projectile, were now sheltering behind the ice shield.
"We can't let those two leave."
"I'm taking them with me!"
Kisame Hoshigaki emerged slowly from the woods, his right hand resting on Samehada's hilt. He watched the Mist Ninja Anbu and Zabuza nearby with interest. He had been born in Kirigakure, and after meeting Uzumaki Kuming, he had joined Konoha. By the time he left Kirigakure, few of the village's Ninja Blades remained.
Kisame hadn't expected to find another Ninja Blade here—or its wielder, Zabuza.
He'd heard of Zabuza, but this was the first time he'd seen him. The Anbu trying to take Zabuza away also caught Kisame's attention. The other man had used Ice Style, a Kekkei Genkai Kisame had never seen before.
"These two must be the people Lord Kuming