Hokage: You Call This Guy the Savior?!

A battle between elite jonin allows for no negligence, and the disciples had instead become a burden to Kakashi.

At this moment, he felt a sudden pang of regret. If he had listened to Keiichi's suggestion to return to the Leaf Village and prepare properly, treating this as a B-rank mission, perhaps the situation would be much better. But what was the use of thinking about that now?

There was nothing left to do but unleash his full strength and give it his all!

Kakashi straightened his headband and slowly opened his left eye, immediately revealing the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Seeing this, Sasuke was deeply shaken. He never imagined that the Sharingan, the pride of the Uchiha clan, would appear on an outsider like Kakashi!

How could this be?!

"It's actually the Sharingan?" Zabuza's eyes widened. He instantly understood the meaning of the "Copy Ninja" moniker and suddenly felt that his own situation was far from safe.

How could he not know of the Sharingan's fearsome reputation?

The thick fog was the perfect environment for the Hidden Mist Technique, so Zabuza immediately concealed his presence, causing Kakashi to lose his target.

However, what Zabuza did not know was that the Sharingan's perception far exceeded his imagination. The moment he concealed himself, the Sharingan had already "copied" all the necessary information.

"Heh heh, a bunch of kids—do you really think you can protect him?" The voice came from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint his location.

Yet, upon hearing the voice, Naruto and the others turned deathly pale and trembled uncontrollably. Mixed into the sound was an endless killing intent—the kind of vicious aura cultivated only by someone who had slaughtered countless people!

When a predator attacks its prey, the prey often freezes, unable to move; this is a form of bloodline suppression rooted in the laws of nature.

To these fledglings who had just stepped into the world, Zabuza was a true superior, and his killing intent was akin to bloodline suppression!

For the first time, they realized just how terrifying a jonin truly was.

"Don't worry, I will protect you all," Kakashi said quickly, sensing the situation was dire.

That's right, they thought, we have personally experienced how strong Kakashi-sensei is. With him protecting us, what do we have to fear?

These words effectively dispelled the pressure in the trio's hearts, and their limbs stopped feeling so unresponsive.

But just as they relaxed, a towering figure suddenly appeared within the defensive formation the four had formed—it was none other than Zabuza!

How did he break through?!

Seeing Tazuna about to be decapitated, the three, having just regained their ability to move, were unable to react in time. Only Keiichi spotted the anomaly early; he lunged forward to intercept, using his kunai to desperately block the descending Kubikiribōchō.

Keiichi was slightly surprised; the opponent's strength wasn't as great as expected, allowing him to hold it off. This gave Kakashi enough time to react, and in the next moment, he appeared behind Zabuza to deliver a backstab.

Success!

The three clenched their fists, their faces filled with joy.

However, the next moment, a miraculous scene unfolded before their eyes: Zabuza slowly melted into a puddle of liquid—it was merely a Water Clone!

Keiichi realized the truth instantly; no wonder he had been able to withstand the power of the Kubikiribōchō—it was a fake all along.

"You've been fooled!" The real Zabuza ambushed Kakashi from behind, thrusting his blade into his back with the same posture.

Before the three could even cry out in horror, Kakashi also melted into a puddle of water; he, too, was just a Water Clone.

The brilliant exchange of offense and defense between the two gave everyone a glimpse of what a high-level ninja battle truly looked like.

"Copying?!" Zabuza raised an eyebrow, realizing he had fallen for a trap within a trap. Just as he intended to retreat, a cold blade was already pressed against his throat.

"It ends here, Zabuza," Kakashi's cold voice came from behind him.

"Kakashi-sensei is just too amazing!" Naruto's eyes sparkled, and he nearly turned into a fanboy on the spot.

Even Sasuke was inexplicably excited, looking at the Sharingan with intense longing.

Is this the Sharingan? If I can awaken this ability, could I become as strong as Kakashi?

Only Keiichi felt no joy, for he knew things could not possibly be this simple. Haku hadn't even appeared yet; how could Zabuza be defeated so easily?

The real test hadn't even begun!

"Heh heh, the Copy Ninja is indeed impressive. Even with your vision obscured, you were able to copy the Water Clone technique I performed in the thick fog. It's hard to imagine just how powerful the Uchiha clan must have been in their prime," Zabuza remarked calmly, seemingly unconcerned about his predicament.

"This time, you aren't a Water Clone, are you?" Kakashi tightened his grip on the kunai, leaving a cut on Zabuza's neck from which blood began to flow.

"Oh? Do you think this is enough to restrain me?"

The next moment, the Kubikiribōchō descended from the sky, falling straight toward the top of Kakashi's head. It turned out Zabuza had prepared a backup plan from the very beginning!

Forced to let go, Kakashi dodged the blade, but Zabuza pressed his advantage, catching the sword and launching a storm of attacks against Kakashi.

Kakashi retreated repeatedly, and seeing he couldn't parry any longer, he channeled chakra into his feet and leaped backward several dozen paces, intending to catch his breath.

But the next moment, he felt the water surface beneath his feet. He had been forced into the lake, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.

Sure enough, Zabuza used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind Kakashi, his hand seals already completed.

"Water Style: Water Prison Technique!"

The lake water surged upward, enveloping Kakashi in a spherical prison. Zabuza kept one hand inserted into the water, continuously channeling chakra to strengthen his control.

"Damn it!" Even with the strength of a jonin, Kakashi found himself unable to escape the prison for the moment, and his heart sank.

He wasn't worried about his own safety, but about the lives of his three students!

Even though Zabuza needed one hand to maintain the Water Prison, as long as he had another hand free, he could easily slaughter everyone present!

Did they really think the title of "Demon" was just a joke?

What to do?

What should be done next?

For a moment, Kakashi was at a loss.

Sure enough, Zabuza formed hand seals with one hand. Although his speed was much slower, a Water Clone could still be seen slowly rising from the water, looking exactly like Zabuza.

"The slaughter game officially begins now." Zabuza revealed a cruel smile.

Seeing the moment Kakashi was restrained by the Water Prison Technique, dead memories suddenly began to assault Keiichi's mind.

That's right!

It was exactly this scene!

It seemed that even with his own involvement, the plot hadn't changed much; Kakashi had been trapped by Zabuza after all.

But with the strongest captain incapacitated and only a group of children left, how could they break this deadlock?

If he let the plot unfold, Naruto and Sasuke would surely find a way to break free, but what benefit would that bring him?

He hadn't joined this mission with the main cast just to slack off; otherwise, wouldn't it have been more comfortable to stay in the Leaf Village?

He was here to earn Magic Modification Points!

He hadn't made a move when he encountered those two Hidden Mist ninjas earlier, and as expected, he hadn't received a single point afterward. This proved that earning points while lying idle was impossible.

Therefore, he had to take the initiative and figure out a safe and effective way to earn points.

And this was undoubtedly the long-awaited opportunity.

He had just blocked Zabuza's Water Clone, which made him realize one thing: a Water Clone could not fully inherit the original body's power. In other words, this clone in front of him could not possibly be at the elite Jonin level.

If he couldn't beat the original, surely he could beat a clone?

While he was lost in thought, Naruto and Sasuke had already engaged the Water Clone.

It could only be said that Naruto was worthy of being the future Seventh Hokage; while everyone else was intimidated by Zabuza's ferocity, Naruto was the first to rush forward.

It was precisely because of his reckless behavior that Sasuke and Sakura were greatly encouraged. After all, if even the weakest, Naruto, dared to attack Zabuza, could their courage be any less than his?

Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers, and for a time, they actually traded blows back and forth, fighting quite intensely.

In terms of overall strength, the Water Clone might not even be as good as Naruto and Sasuke, but it was controlled by Zabuza, and its combat experience was far beyond what two rookies could match, so it quickly gained the upper hand.

When Naruto came charging back in, chattering away, only to be kicked flying by the Water Clone in a single exchange, Keiichi immediately rushed forward and caught Naruto's body.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm fine, this guy isn't anything special!" Naruto said triumphantly, clutching the forehead protector he had snatched from under the clone's feet.

Although he was beaten black and blue, he looked as if nothing had happened.

Through this intense exchange, Keiichi keenly realized that the Water Clone's strength really wasn't that high. Even Naruto could last a few rounds against it; it was far inferior to the original body.

"You guys go protect Mr. Tazuna; leave this Water Clone to me." Keiichi walked in front of Naruto, staring at the Water Clone with a grave expression as he spoke.

"I want to fight too!" Naruto refused to be outdone.

Sasuke didn't answer, merely wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his fighting spirit soaring.

"Naruto, Sasuke, listen to him!" Although Kakashi's body was trapped, his voice could still be heard.

Seeing Keiichi take the initiative to step forward, a glimmer of hope ignited in his heart.

Someone capable of killing a Chunin might actually be able to deal with Zabuza's Water Clone.

"Hmph, another brat here to die!" Zabuza's gaze darkened as he secretly issued an order, and the Water Clone raised the Kubikiribōchō and charged toward Keiichi.

Damn it, he forgot about the Kubikiribōchō!

Although the Water Clone wasn't that strong, the weapon in its hand was one of the famous Seven Ninja Swords!

You were holding back when you fought Naruto and the others, weren't you?!

Upon the first contact, Keiichi was sent flying backward. Although he didn't land in a particularly pathetic manner, his heart ached terribly as he looked at the Kunai in his hand, now snapped in half.

These ninja tools were incredibly expensive. For civilian ninjas like them, a single Kunai had to last for years, and now it was completely ruined!

If he didn't have the system, he would have felt like crying his eyes out.

So you're going to break my Kunai, are you?!

Kubikiribōchō, is it?!

Then I'll let you know what the anger of a civilian ninja feels like!

"Spirit: Destruction, activate!"

Without hesitation, Keiichi activated this item he had opened from a gift pack.

Suddenly, the scenery before his eyes changed instantly; pale golden cracks appeared on everything, and the Kubikiribōchō was no exception.

These cracks converged, all focusing on a single point on the blade's surface...

With that, he took a new Kunai from his ninja tool pouch and met the Water Clone once more, aiming every single strike at that exact point.

Missed...

Still missed...

Just a little bit more...

Hit him!

Yet every single time, he missed the Water Clone by a hair's breadth, and instead, the Water Clone seized the opportunity to land several counterattacks, leaving him at a disadvantage for the moment.

"See? He's nothing special after all. Maybe he's even weaker than me," Naruto muttered.

"Shut your mouth! Can't you see he's protecting us?" Sakura retorted.

Deep down, however, Sakura was stomping her feet in anger, cursing Keiichi up and down and thinking he was a complete waste of space. How could he be seven or eight times stronger than her?

Only Sasuke seemed to have noticed something; he frowned deeply, remaining silent.

With a leap to create some distance, blood trickled down his arm. Keiichi stood there panting, a bitter smile appearing on his face.

At twelve years old, his body was only just beginning to develop. Even with the combat experience from his past life, his physical form often failed to keep up with the pace. This was why he always seized every moment to train, but in the end, the time had been too short.

Although he had intended to test the effects of his system skills, the fact that a mere Water Clone could leave him wounded made it easy to imagine just how formidable the original body must be.

Fortunately, he had gradually figured out the opponent's habitual movements and had a plan in mind.

Seeing the Water Clone charging toward him, Keiichi stepped back quickly while his hands began to weave seals in a methodical rhythm.

The distance between them closed rapidly, and the Kubikiribōchō swung down once more, slicing Keiichi clean in two.

Seeing this, Sakura turned pale with fright, unable to stop herself from covering her mouth.

But then, a startling scene unfolded: the bisected Keiichi transformed into two identical people, as if he had split in two.

Shadow Clone Technique!

Kakashi recognized it at a single glance.