After finishing with a smile, Lin Fan's hands, which had been flying up and down, swiftly completed the final Hare hand seal.
At the same time, his scarlet Three-Tomoe eyes began spinning rapidly without pause.
He immediately shouted in a low voice, "Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
"What?"
Zabuza was greatly shocked, wondering why his hands had been a beat slower. By then, a ring of water had already formed swiftly in front of Lin Fan.
The ring continued to fill and expand, soon forming a massive sphere of water as large as a Tailed Beast Bomb.
It shot straight toward Zabuza.
"H-How is this possible?"
Zabuza's eyes widened as he spat out those words.
Faced with such a colossal mass, he had nowhere to dodge.
He was soon swallowed whole by the vast flood.
The expanding sphere of water continued to draw in more water, showing signs of rising from the lake and surging toward the sky.
In an instant, trees along its path snapped in half, while boulders were blasted into dust by the raging current.
The terrifying spectacle left Kakashi and the others, who were nearby and being buffeted by the cold, wild wind, utterly astonished.
Just how many secrets was Lin Fan still hiding from them?
The Great Waterfall Technique continued its assault for a full ten minutes before finally settling down.
Afterward, the mist gradually began to clear, and bright sunlight once more filtered into the forest.
The waves had slammed Zabuza against a tree. His strength was long spent, and he was now a helpless lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
In an instant, four Kunai shot out and plunged deep into Zabuza's limbs, leaving him unable to move another step.
"Ah!"
His agonized scream echoed through the forest, startling flocks of birds into flight.
"It's over."
Lin Fan used Body Flicker to appear on a branch above Zabuza, then spoke coldly.
Zabuza's bloodshot eyes were filled with fear. "You wretched brat. Can you really see the future with the Sharingan?"
"That's right. You'll be dead in a few seconds!"
Lin Fan raised the Kunai in his hand and aimed it at Zabuza's heart.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
With a series of sharp whistles, several Senbon shot straight toward Zabuza's neck.
Pfft!
Zabuza obligingly spat out a mouthful of blood. Gradually, the life faded from his savage eyes.
As someone familiar with Naruto's plot, Lin Fan naturally understood.
This was Haku, the best supporting actor in the performance of Zabuza, the best actor worthy of an Oscar.
Soon, a slender youth appeared on a branch beside Zabuza. He wore a red-striped mask and a dark green robe.
"Is he finally dead?" Haku said coldly.
"Who are you? How could you kill Zabuza so easily?" Naruto asked angrily, shaking a fist at Haku.
"That mask... Are you a hunter-nin from Kirigakure?" Kakashi asked in surprise from nearby.
"That's right. I've been tracking the missing-nin Zabuza from my village. Now that he's dead, I can take his body back and report in," Haku replied, his expression still indifferent.
Kakashi quickly stepped forward and examined Zabuza's body.
Lin Fan didn't expose Haku's lie either.
After all, his system's guiding mission required Haku to intervene and save Zabuza for him to receive the reward.
Besides, after using the Great Waterfall Technique with its power boosted by 50%, and with the long journey leaving him a little tired and sleepy, he couldn't be bothered to keep fighting.
"He really is dead."
Kakashi looked at Haku on the opposite branch, his expression shifting.
"Has another young genius appeared?"
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."
Haku immediately leapt down from the branch, picked up Zabuza, and disappeared from their sight.
[ Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the guiding mission. Reward: Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals Lv. 1 ]
"Finally finished the mission?"
Lin Fan murmured with a smile. Completely relaxed, he failed to notice his foot suddenly stumble.
Then he toppled off the branch.
"Big Brother Lin Fan!"
Naruto, who had been keeping an eye on Lin Fan, saw him fall and cried out in alarm.
Thud!
Kakashi flashed beneath the tree and caught Lin Fan securely.
"To have fought Zabuza, who had the strength of an elite jōnin, to this extent... His chakra must have reached its limit," Kakashi said with concern as he looked at Lin Fan in his arms.
"No, unlike you, who's always suffering from kidney deficiency, I've still got plenty of chakra. I just slipped."
Lin Fan smiled as he spoke.
Kakashi's face immediately turned dark.
"My house is just ahead. Let's let this child get some proper rest first," Tazuna suggested from the side.
Kakashi nodded, and the group hurried onward.
That evening, at Tazuna's house.
After sleeping and restoring his energy, Lin Fan woke to find his Team 7 teammates gazing at him with concern.
"Big Brother Lin Fan, you're finally awake!"
When Naruto saw Lin Fan wake up, the gloom on his face vanished at once.
"Not bad. Your chakra recovered after only three hours of rest. Young people really do have good stamina," Kakashi said enviously, looking at Lin Fan.
"I really just wanted to sleep because I hadn't rested enough. Do you all seriously think I'm as weak as Lord Kakashi?" Lin Fan muttered in dismay.
Soon, Naruto brought a steaming bowl of ramen over to Lin Fan.
"Hehe, Big Brother Lin Fan, look! Sasuke carefully made this for you. It tastes almost exactly like Ichiraku Ramen back in the village. Hurry and try it while it's hot!"
Sasuke, standing to the side, turned his head away haughtily and said nothing.
"Anyway, now that Lin Fan's awake, we should discuss something important."
Kakashi's expression suddenly grew solemn.
"After thinking it over repeatedly, I suspect Zabuza is still alive!"
"What? Kakashi-sensei, didn't you already examine Zabuza's body?" Lin Fan asked, pretending to look confused.
"Yes, but I suspect Zabuza used a deathlike state to deceive me. That hunter-nin from Kirigakure was suspicious too. Usually, a hunter-nin from Kirigakure only needs to take a missing-nin's head back to the village to report in..."
Kakashi explained gravely.
"Are you only figuring that out now, Lord Kakashi?"
Lin Fan smiled.
As expected, Zabuza, whose acting skills were wild and untamed; Madara, who danced with reckless abandon; and Jiraiya, whose ideas flowed endlessly, truly were the three great leaders of the Naruto World's literary and artistic scene.
Bang!
Hearing Kakashi's words, Naruto abruptly slapped the table and stood up.
"Kakashi-sensei, are you saying that guy named Zabuza will come back and try to hurt Grandpa Tazuna again?"
"We should get right to training. I never want to be a bystander in the next battle again."
Naruto declared, brimming with resolve.
(Thanks, everyone, for the five-star reviews and little gifts. Your support means a lot.)
The Great God Shenqi Xiao Sima provided Naruto: Starting with Infinite Skill Points.