Kakashi vs. Zabuza

The five of them felt a complex mix of emotions; the encounter in the Land of Waves was enough to make any listener weep and break their heart.

But just then, a sound of wind being torn apart suddenly swept in from behind them in the jungle!

"Look out!..."

Kakashi, possessing the highest cultivation, was the first to notice. Seeing the situation, he grabbed Tazuna and leaped onto a nearby treetop in a flash.

Sasuke was only a split second behind; the next moment, he grabbed Sakura and Naruto, one in each hand, and followed suit.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

The whistling sound of the wind passed by as a long blade, spinning like an electric fan, flew past and slammed into a tree trunk nearby, emitting a buzzing vibration!

"This is..."

Kakashi's gaze turned grave. He stared at the man-sized blade embedded horizontally in the trunk, his brows furrowed in silence.

At that moment, with a shing, another sound of tearing wind rang out. Immediately after, a tall man wrapped in bandages appeared with his back to the group, speaking in an icy tone:

"Kakashi, one of the few elite Jonin of Konoha; your reputation is truly well-deserved..."

Hearing this, Kakashi's expression darkened. Upon seeing the man's attire and the ninja blade beneath his feet, a guess instantly formed in his mind:

"If I am not mistaken, this blade is the renowned Kubikiribōchō. Could you be Zabuza, the master of the Silent Killing technique?..."

"Hehehe..."

Satisfied that Kakashi recognized him, Zabuza turned around and spoke slowly:

"Not bad. To be remembered by the famous Copy Ninja Kakashi, I suppose these years I've spent in this circle haven't been in vain."

"Before I defected from the Land of Water and Kirigakure, I, too, was one of the few elite Jonin there."

"Since we are both elite Jonin, why don't you hand over that old man behind you to me? Let's just call it a favor between friends, how about that?..."

His tone shifted from icy to amicable.

But as he stood on the treetop while Kakashi and the others remained on the ground, this condescending posture, though gentle, hid an unquestionable sense of authority.

"That won't do. Although we are both elite Jonin, we each serve our own masters."

"So, I am very curious: if I refuse to hand him over, will you still be so polite?..."

As he spoke, he reached up with his left hand and pulled back his headband, revealing the Sharingan beneath!

"Heh..."

Since the soft approach wouldn't work, he would have to resort to force.

Seeing this, Zabuza chuckled. Without further ado, he spoke in a deep voice, as if addressing an old friend he hadn't seen in years:

"I have heard many times that Kakashi of Konoha is the greatest ninja under the Third Hokage!"

"Having the honor of meeting you today, how could I not test your skills!..."

As if delivering an opening line, he didn't wait for the words to fade before pushing off with his toes and leaping into the air!

With a beckoning of his hand, the Kubikiribōchō seemed to come alive, flying straight into Zabuza's palm!

The next moment, man and blade became one. He raised it high above his head and brought it down toward Kakashi in a fierce, downward strike!

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the sight and moved his hand, a kunai appearing in his grip out of thin air.

Just like his duel with Sasuke that day, in the blink of an eye, the kunai was wreathed in arcs of lightning, its power terrifying and its pressure overwhelming.

Clang!

The two sides collided, instantly sparking a series of metallic clashing sounds.

With lightning arcs swirling and mist filling the air, the figures of Kakashi and Zabuza darted back and forth, leaving behind countless afterimages.

The scene was truly breathtaking.

"Is... is this the battle of elite Jonin? So... so strong..."

Naruto stared blankly at the two locked in fierce combat, his throat bobbing as he felt utterly stunned.

Sakura clenched her fists, her expression mirroring Tazuna's—both were filled with worry.

Unlike the other three, Sasuke's face remained calm, like a still well, though he was pondering inwardly.

If he were to use the Dance of the Crescent Moon, how many moves could he last against Zabuza, who was currently using only his swordsmanship?

Crack, snap, clatter. The battle intensified. The two figures flashed and shifted, fighting to a standstill for a time, evenly matched!

But just then, Kakashi suddenly used a Body Flicker technique, shifting his position!

In the next moment, caught off guard, Zabuza's expression changed and his pupils constricted. He hurriedly turned, holding his blade horizontally across his chest in an attempt to block.

But as he turned, unexpectedly, he did not encounter the incoming shuriken.

A flash of crimson light flickered and vanished, and in an instant, Zabuza felt his body grow heavy as his consciousness plunged into chaos!

"Not good! This is Genjutsu!..."

Having survived countless battles and crawled his way out of piles of corpses, Zabuza's combat instincts required no further elaboration.

He did not panic, nor did he adopt a defensive stance.

Instead, he quietly shifted his hand seals, playing along with the ruse...

Kakashi activated his Sharingan Genjutsu and saw that Zabuza had indeed fallen for it!

Feeling a surge of joy, he raised his Kunai and, channeling almost all his remaining chakra, thrust it downward with full force toward Zabuza's vitals!

"As expected of an elite Jonin; these layers of schemes are truly impossible to guard against..."

Seeing the outcome decided from a short distance away, Sasuke sighed inwardly.

But at this critical moment—

Bang!

White smoke erupted!

The figure that should have been Zabuza instantly dissolved into a pool of clear water, vanishing into nothingness in the blink of an eye.

"This... this is actually the Water Style: Substitution Technique!..."

Kakashi's expression changed drastically.

He never imagined that even while caught in a Genjutsu, Zabuza could still manage to execute a Water Style: Substitution Technique!

Having lost track of Zabuza, he panicked for a split second!

However, Kakashi was an elite Jonin after all; despite his miscalculation, his combat instincts remained sharp.

Just as his Kunai struck the substitute, Zabuza's cold voice suddenly rang out from behind him:

"Kakashi, you've lost..."

"What!..."

Kakashi was shocked!

But before he could react further, he felt his entire body suddenly seize up.

Immediately after, his vision began to ripple and distort, as if he had been plunged into the depths of the ocean!

"This... damn it! I've been caught in this guy's Water Style: Water Prison Technique!..."

Kakashi desperately wanted to counterattack.

Under normal circumstances, he could have easily broken free from this technique.

But he had just gambled everything on a single use of his Sharingan, making his already depleted chakra reserves even worse.

At this moment, as far as chakra was concerned, Kakashi was completely tapped out...

"Wh-what? Kakashi-sensei actually lost, and he lost so quickly..."

Naruto's mouth hung open, his blue eyes filled with shock.

Sakura's willow-leaf brows furrowed, her heart heavy with complex emotions.

She wasn't worried about Kakashi's safety; she could tell that if the opponent had intended to kill, he wouldn't have stopped at merely trapping him.

Instead, she was worried about Team 7 and Tazuna.

After all, with such a powerful elite Jonin, even if it were just a clone, could the three of them—mere Genin—really hold him off?...

With one hand locked in the Water Prison Technique, Zabuza changed his hand seals with his other hand. The next moment, a Water Clone appeared and began to walk slowly toward Team 7 and Tazuna.

Tazuna sighed helplessly and shook his head, thinking that in the end, he could not escape the cruelty of fate.

If he was destined to die, he might as well be proactive; perhaps that would save the three children of Team 7.

With that thought, Tazuna stepped forward.

But just as he was about to speak, Naruto reached out to block his path, gritting his teeth with an unyielding expression:

"Tazuna-san! Don't worry, we absolutely won't let anything happen to you!"

"Kakashi-sensei is trapped, but we three will take care of this bandage-faced guy's clone!..."