The five of them felt conflicted. Their ordeal in the Land of Waves was enough to make anyone who heard about it weep with sorrow.
But just then,
a sudden rush of wind tore through the jungle from behind them!
"Look out!..."
Kakashi had the highest level of skill and was the first to notice. He grabbed Tazuna beside him and leapt to a treetop in the distance.
Sasuke was only a moment behind. In the next instant, he grabbed Sakura and Naruto, one in each hand, and followed close behind.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."
The rushing blade spun past like a giant fan. In the blink of an eye, it struck the trunk of a tree nearby, ringing with a deep hum!
"This is..."
Kakashi's expression turned grave as he stared at the enormous sword, nearly as tall as a person, embedded in the tree. He said nothing, his brow furrowed.
Just then, with a sharp whistle, another rush of wind sounded. A tall man with bandages wrapped around his face appeared, his back to them. In a cold voice, he said,
"Kakashi, one of Konoha's few elite Jonin. You certainly live up to your reputation..."
Kakashi's expression grew more serious. Seeing the man's appearance and the Ninja Blade beneath his feet, he immediately began to suspect who he was.
"If I'm not mistaken, that's the notorious Kubikiribōchō. Could you be Zabuza, renowned for your silent killing technique?..."
"Heh heh heh..."
Pleased that Kakashi had recognized him, Zabuza turned around and spoke slowly:
"It's nice to know the famous Copy Ninja Kakashi remembers me. Seems I haven't wasted all these years in this line of work."
"Before I defected from the Land of Water and Kirigakure, I was one of their few elite Jonin, too."
"So, since we're both elite Jonin, how about you hand over that old man behind you today, and we call it a friendly gesture?..."
His tone gradually shifted from cold to cordial.
At that moment, he stood atop a treetop, while Kakashi and the others were on the ground. Though Zabuza sounded friendly, his lofty position carried an unmistakable air of command.
"I don't think so. We may both be elite Jonin, but we serve different masters."
"So I'd like to know—if I refuse, will you still be this courteous?..."
As he spoke, he drew his left hand aside, revealing the Sharingan beneath his Forehead Protector!
"Heh..."
Since a gentle approach wouldn't work, he'd have to use force.
Zabuza chuckled at the sight and didn't waste any time. Instead, he spoke in a low voice, like an old friend he hadn't seen in years:
"I've often heard that Kakashi of Konoha is second only to the Third Hokage!"
"Now that I have the honor of meeting you, how could I pass up the chance to test your skills!..."
Like the opening line of a performance, he finished speaking, planted his foot, and leapt into the air!
With a wave of his hand, Kubikiribōchō flew into Zabuza's grasp as if it had come alive!
The next moment,
man and sword became one. He raised the blade over his head and brought it crashing down on Kakashi!
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. With a flick of his hand, a Kunai appeared in his grasp.
Just like when he'd fought Sasuke, lightning arcs coiled around the Kunai in an instant. Its power was terrifying, its pressure overwhelming.
Clang!
Their weapons clashed, instantly filling the air with the ringing of metal.
Lightning crackled and mist billowed as Kakashi and Zabuza darted back and forth across the battlefield, their afterimages overlapping.
The sight was breathtaking.
"This... Is this what a battle between elite Jonin looks like? So... so strong..."
Naruto stared blankly at the two locked in fierce combat, his throat bobbing as he struggled to take it all in.
Sakura clenched her fists. Like Tazuna, she looked worried.
Unlike the other three, Sasuke remained calm, his expression as placid as a still well. But inwardly, he wondered:
If I used the Dance of the Crescent Moon, how many moves could I withstand against Zabuza, who was only using swordsmanship right now?
The fight raged on. The two fighters darted and dodged, their skills evenly matched, with neither gaining the upper hand!
But just then,
Kakashi suddenly used the Body Flicker Technique, switching places in an instant!
The next moment, caught off guard, Zabuza's expression changed and his pupils contracted. He spun around in a panic, holding his sword across his chest to block the attack.
But when he turned, he was surprised to find no Shuriken flying at him.
Instead, a flash of crimson light flickered and vanished. Zabuza's body suddenly grew heavy, and his mind sank into chaos!
"Damn it! Genjutsu!..."
Having fought countless battles and clawed his way out of piles of corpses, Zabuza's combat instincts needed no explanation.
He didn't panic or take up another defensive stance.
Instead, he discreetly changed his hand seals, deciding to turn the tables on Kakashi...
Kakashi used the Sharingan's Genjutsu and saw that Zabuza had indeed fallen for it!
Delighted, he raised his Kunai and plunged it down toward Zabuza's vital points, using nearly all the chakra he had left!
"Truly an elite Jonin. One trick after another—it's nearly impossible to defend against..."
The outcome seemed decided. Sasuke, the first to notice what was happening nearby, marveled to himself.
But at this crucial moment,
a loud bang sounded!
A cloud of white smoke burst apart!
What should have been Zabuza's body gradually turned into a pool of clear water, then vanished without a trace.
"This... This was a Water Release: Substitution Technique!..."
Kakashi was stunned.
He hadn't expected Zabuza to use a Water Release Substitution Technique even while caught in Genjutsu!
With Zabuza nowhere to be seen, he panicked!
Kakashi was an elite Jonin, and though his prediction had been wrong, his instincts remained sharp.
As soon as the Shuriken struck Zabuza's substitute, Zabuza's cold voice suddenly sounded behind him:
"Kakashi, you've lost..."
"What?!..."
Kakashi was shocked!
Before he could react, he suddenly felt his entire body stiffen.
Then the world before his eyes began to ripple and twist, as though he'd been plunged into the depths of the sea!
"This... Damn it! I've fallen for this guy's Water Release: Water Prison Technique!..."
Kakashi wanted to fight back.
Normally, he could easily break free of this technique.
But he'd just used the Sharingan in a desperate gamble, further draining his already meager chakra reserves.
At this point, he didn't have a drop of chakra left...
"Wha... What? Kakashi-sensei lost? And so quickly..."
Naruto gaped, his blue eyes full of shock.
Sakura furrowed her brows, her heart heavy.
She wasn't worried about Kakashi-sensei's safety. She could tell that if Zabuza had meant to kill him, he wouldn't have simply trapped him like this.
Instead, she was worried about Team 7 and Uncle Tazuna.
Even if such a powerful elite Jonin wasn't the real deal and this was only a clone, could the three Genin really stop him?...
With one hand holding Kakashi in the Water Prison Technique, Zabuza changed the hand seals with his other hand. A Water Clone appeared, then slowly walked toward Team 7 and Tazuna.
Tazuna sighed and shook his head helplessly, thinking that in the end, he couldn't escape the cruel twists of fate.
He was destined to die. Better to take the initiative—maybe he could save the three children of Team 7.
With that thought, Tazuna stepped forward.
But just as he was about to speak, Naruto reached out and stopped him, gritting his teeth as he declared, unwilling to back down:
"Uncle Tazuna! Don't worry. We won't let anything happen to you!"
"Kakashi-sensei is trapped. The three of us will deal with this bandaged creep!..."
Before you continue