Zabuza's Attack

Land of Waves.

A small boat carrying Team 10 and Tazuna was steadily making its way toward Tazuna's home.

The Land of Waves was perpetually shrouded in thick fog, and visibility here was extremely low; beyond ten meters, it was difficult to see much of anything.

Because of this, Asuma and the others wore solemn expressions, remaining cautious and alert.

The enemy they were likely to face next was, in all probability, a jonin.

As one of the world's wealthiest men, Gato surely had many ronin at his disposal, which was a troublesome prospect.

Coupled with the certainty that the enemy had actual ninja under his command, the situation was far from optimistic.

Lu Yu, however, didn't have many thoughts on the matter.

Zabuza had already been scared off by him, and Lu Yu estimated that the psychological trauma would take at least a week or two for him to recover from.

Thinking of this, Lu Yu couldn't help but admire Gato's sheer audacity.

In this world where strength dictated everything, no matter how much money Gato had, he was still just an ordinary person; to the strong, he was nothing more than a walking vault.

According to Lu Yu's conjecture, even if Zabuza took this opportunity to slack off, Gato wouldn't dare to complain, so it was impossible for Zabuza to attack in the short term.

It was precisely because of this deduction that Lu Yu was in quite a good mood throughout the journey.

After all, this was his first time in the Land of Waves, and he was very interested in the local environment.

A few days later, Team 10 arrived at Tazuna's home without incident.

According to the requirements of the mission, Team 10 had to protect Tazuna until the bridge was completed for the task to be considered finished.

Thus, Team 10 settled into Tazuna's house, while Lu Yu excitedly grabbed his bags and headed out to go fishing.

One had to realize that, unlike an inland nation like Konoha, sea fishing in an island country was a rare pleasure.

The fish here were at least half a meter long, with some reaching two or three meters, or even over ten meters in length.

Asuma had already reached a state of complete indulgence toward Lu Yu, and the other three had long since grown accustomed to it as well.

If Lu Yu were to ever diligently train, that wouldn't be the Lu Yu they knew; besides, with his immense strength, what was wrong with being a bit of a slacker?

The next day, Asuma brought Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji into the forest, while Lu Yu sat nearby, happily eating roasted pork.

Asuma glanced at Lu Yu helplessly before smiling at the three in front of him.

"I know you all envy Lu Yu, but there's nothing to be done about it."

"You've seen enough of Lu Yu's strength; if you ever reach that same level, I can grant you complete freedom as well."

"For now, the top priority is to become stronger. Do you understand?"

Recalling how Lu Yu had effortlessly killed a wild boar with his bare hands just half an hour ago, the three nodded heavily.

Seeing Lu Yu's inhuman strength, it would be impossible for them not to feel envious.

However, the three of them clearly lacked Lu Yu's monstrous talent, so they could only grit their teeth in secret, deciding not to slack off again until they became stronger.

Seeing the fighting spirit radiating from their eyes, Asuma smiled with satisfaction.

"Good. Since you've found the motivation to improve, starting today, I will personally conduct systematic training for the three of you."

Lu Yu took a delicious bite of a succulent, fatty pork leg, watching with interest as Asuma explained to the trio how to circulate chakra to the soles of their feet.

Following that, Team 10 began their chakra training—the journey of tree climbing.

And Lu Yu began his own training—eating.

Since he had finally made it to the Land of Waves, which was rich in wild game and seafood, how could a slacker who excelled at enjoying life not taste every single thing?

Consequently, from that day on, Ino, who loved to mooch off Lu Yu's meals, was in for a treat.

Every day she could eat different game, ranging from tigers, brown bears, and wild boars to crabs, seafood, and more; for an entire month, she never ate the same thing twice.

What shocked Ino the most was that this bad guy, who usually looked lazy to the point of uselessness, was actually quite skilled at cooking.

Every meal left Ino feeling thoroughly satisfied and longing for more, to the point where she had no appetite when she went back to eating the food at Tazuna's house.

One month later, in the morning, Team 10 was dressed neatly as usual, preparing to protect Tazuna as he worked on the bridge.

Ino looked at the still-sleeping Lu Yu and gently tucked the blanket in for him.

Watching the rhythmic breathing on Lu Yu's handsome face, Ino looked around like a thief.

When she realized no one else was there, her pretty face flushed slightly, and she slowly leaned down. Just as she was about to kiss Lu Yu's forehead—

"Ino, it's time to go!"

At the critical moment, Asuma's voice rang out, startling Ino, who had been planning to do something naughty. She glared resentfully in Asuma's direction, then looked back at Lu Yu, who was frowning slightly, feeling unwilling to give up.

At this point, it was clearly impossible to try anything else, so Ino had to walk out the door in a huff, muttering to herself:

Sensei Asuma is just the worst...

An hour later, Asuma arrived at the bridge with the three students and Tazuna.

Because it was still early, the fog on the bridge was extremely thick. Asuma subconsciously looked around, his brow furrowing slightly as he felt an inexplicable sense of oppression.

Sensing something was wrong, Asuma shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Quick, fall back!"

Asuma finished his command and took the lead, leaping backward.

CLANG!!!

The very second Asuma jumped away, a massive cleaver whistled through the air and slammed into the spot where he had just been standing.

The group looked forward, shocked to see that half of the oversized blade was buried deep into the bridge.

Seeing this, everyone immediately prepared for combat, scanning their surroundings with grave expressions.

A moment later, a man wearing spotted overalls with bandages wrapped around half his face dropped from the air, landing steadily on the hilt of the Executioner's Blade.

His face was shrouded in a gloomy aura, and his small eyes radiated a terrifying killing intent.

Zabuza looked at Asuma and said with a mocking tone:

"Oh my, if it isn't one of the famous Twelve Guardian Shinobi of Konoha Village—Sarutobi Asuma?"