Fierce Battle at the Bridgehead

Hearing Zabuza's flippant tone, Sarutobi Asuma furrowed his brows. He instinctively gripped his Flying Swallow blades, though a genial smile spread across his face.

"Heh, I wonder who it could be? Isn't this the rogue ninja of the Mist Village, the Demon Zabuza? It's rare to see you remember such ancient, rotting history so clearly."

The moment Asuma opened his mouth, his Flying Swallow blades were coated in sharp, wind-attribute chakra.

A powerful aura erupted from Asuma's body, completely dispersing the killing intent radiating from Zabuza.

This allowed Ino and Tazuna to let out long sighs of relief, finally breaking free from the pressure of Zabuza's presence.

Ino looked at Zabuza with lingering fear.

"What a terrifying guy. Just now, I felt like I was looking at countless vengeful spirits."

Zabuza frowned as he watched the wind-attribute chakra on Asuma's Flying Swallow blades. He glanced at Tazuna in the distance and said, "Sarutobi Asuma, I have no grudge against you. My target is that old man. I guarantee that once I kill him, I will retreat immediately."

"Heh, I'm truly sorry, Zabuza, but this old man is my client."

Listening to the tone of their conversation, one would think they were long-lost friends catching up, rather than enemies.

Shikamaru keenly noticed Asuma tap his right foot lightly against the ground and immediately understood.

"Ino, Choji, protect Mr. Tazuna in a 'swastika' formation. There might be more than one enemy."

Ino and Choji nodded, immediately taking their positions and scanning their surroundings with vigilance.

Zabuza watched Asuma, feeling a sense of hesitation.

For days, Zabuza had been investigating the source of that terrifying aura.

It wasn't until he tracked it down and realized that the ones protecting Tazuna were Konoha ninja that he finally had a lead.

When Zabuza discovered that the ninja in question was none other than the son of the Konoha Hokage—Sarutobi Asuma—he realized the situation had become thorny.

Zabuza's greatest ambition was to seize control of the Land of Water's government through a coup d'état.

Everything he was doing now was merely to accumulate resources, so he could not afford to kill Asuma, let alone the legendary Konoha trio, Ino-Shika-Cho.

Otherwise, the Land of Water alone would be enough to crush him; if he added the Land of Fire to his list of enemies, there would be no place left in the world for him to hide.

Thinking of this, Zabuza sneered at Asuma, pointed his right hand high into the air, and whispered, "Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Technique!"

The next moment, the mist surrounding them began to thicken, and visibility dropped at an alarming rate...

"Heh, Asuma, let me show you the true power of the Silent Killing Technique."

After saying this, Zabuza hoisted the Executioner's Blade that had been embedded in the bridge, took a few steps back, and turned to vanish into the mist.

Asuma frowned, watching his surroundings warily, and shouted to the group behind him, "Stay right where you are! Don't move!"

Just then, a sharp, whistling sound pierced the air.

Asuma instinctively raised his Flying Swallow blades to block toward his left.

Clang!

The Flying Swallow blades collided violently with the Executioner's Blade, sending sparks flying.

Seeing that his strike had failed, Zabuza immediately retreated back into the thick fog.

"Oh? I didn't expect you to be able to accurately intercept my attack with visibility this low. You really are strong, Asuma."

Zabuza gave Asuma an appreciative look, then his tone turned cold.

"However, the one who will win this battle will definitely be me!"

Asuma watched his surroundings vigilantly, his expression growing grave.

On the other side, Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino watched their surroundings with caution.

Visibility around the three of them was still manageable, and they remained on high alert for any sudden developments.

Just then, a white figure suddenly rushed out of the thick mist, wielding senbon.

In the heavy fog, there were no shadows to track. Seeing this, Shikamaru had no choice but to draw his kunai and charge toward the white figure.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two sides clashed in an instant, the air filled with sparks flying in every direction.

Ino watched Shikamaru with concern. Seeing this, Choji whispered from the side, "Ino, leave Mr. Tazuna to you. I'm going to help Shikamaru."

"Multi-Size Technique!"

Following his command, Choji's body began to rapidly expand.

"Human Bullet Tank!"

The next moment, Choji tucked his head and limbs inside, transforming into a five-meter-wide sphere that rolled rapidly toward Haku.

"Hmph!"

Seeing this, Haku let out a cold snort. With a sudden burst of strength in his right hand, he instantly broke free from Shikamaru's grip, then leaped a few times to calmly dodge Choji's attack.

Haku landed steadily on the ground, looked at Shikamaru and Choji in the distance, and said coldly:

"I do not wish to kill you, but I assume you are not willing to back down, are you?"

Shikamaru smiled helplessly and said indifferently:

"What nonsense are you spouting? The current situation is two against one; all things considered, we have the advantage."

Shikamaru secretly flexed his numb wrist. In truth, he had felt quite strained during the brief exchange with Haku, but for the opponent to expect him and Choji to surrender was far too naive.

Seeing that his persuasion was ineffective, Haku explained calmly:

"That fatty's attacks are decent, but linear assaults are useless against me, and your close-quarters combat ability is no match for me at all."

As he finished speaking, Haku charged forward once more, engaging Shikamaru in a rapid exchange.

Soon, Shikamaru realized with horror that the opponent was forcing him to struggle just by using a single hand.

Noticing that Shikamaru had keenly picked up on this, Haku said casually:

"You probably haven't noticed the water all around you, have you?"

Following that, Haku's free hand began to form seals with lightning speed.

"What? This guy can actually perform one-handed seals!"

Shikamaru's pupils shrank to dangerous pinpoints, and he immediately channeled chakra to the soles of his feet, preparing to meet Haku's next attack.

"Secret Technique: Thousand Kills Water Soar!"