I Seem to Have Deduced Something Incredible

Seeing Naruto say this, Sakura suddenly remembered what Sasuke had told him a few days ago, though she wasn't sure why.

"We're a team, yet you're arrogant and prejudiced toward Naruto. I'm really disappointed in you..."

We're a team...

At that thought, Sakura clenched both fists, stepped out of the group, and stood beside Naruto.

Seeing this, Tazuna sighed and tried to talk him out of it:

"Forget it, Naruto. I appreciate the thought from all of you in Team 7."

"But even an elite Jonin as powerful as your Kakashi-sensei is no match for that man. Wouldn't you just be throwing your lives away if you went up against him?..."

"Don't worry, Mr. Tazuna. Even so, we absolutely won't..."

Before Naruto could finish, Sasuke stopped him with a wave.

Then Sasuke stepped forward and stood in front of the other three, facing Zabuza's Water Clone.

"Senior Zabuza, since you're so certain you've already won, how about a wager with your junior?..."

The clone and the original shared their thoughts. Seeing Sasuke step out of the group and face his clone without the slightest hint of panic, Zabuza immediately grew interested. Then he teased him with a serious expression:

"Oh? I've already taken control of the situation. Only my clone can move, but that's more than enough to kill all of you. What makes you think you're in a position to bargain with me?..."

Zabuza was utterly unmoved. Naruto, Sakura, and Tazuna all blanched at once.

But Sasuke laughed when he heard this, then wore an air of maturity far beyond his years as he spoke slowly:

"You work in the ninja world, so you must know that Konoha is now the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages."

"So I'm certain that as long as you want to keep working in this line of business, you won't kill us today."

"You know full well that doing so would humiliate Konoha and leave you facing an endless pursuit by Konoha Anbu."

"You're taking a job for money. Whether it's worth it is obvious, isn't it?"

"After all, you're only making a few thousand per job. Why risk your life over that?..."

Hearing Sasuke's words, Zabuza froze for a moment. Then, as the logic clicked into place, he laughed.

"Good! For someone so young, you're shrewd. Judging by the flow of chakra around you, you're also among the best of your age."

"Konoha has produced a peerless genius like you. I, Zabuza, will do you a favor today. I wouldn't want people saying I had no dignity as a senior if word of this got out!..."

"Tell me, how do you want to make this wager?..."

Sasuke was ecstatic. Finally, he took the bait...

Then he raised his right hand. With a poof, a cloud of white smoke burst out, and the Sword of Indra appeared in his grasp!

Holding his ninja sword angled toward the ground, Sasuke smiled at Zabuza's clone.

"I noticed your mastery of Kubikiribōchō earlier, Senior. It was truly astonishing. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to exchange a few moves with you and hear your opinion on whether my Konoha Style swordsmanship is ready to stand on its own."

"Konoha Style swordsmanship?..."

Zabuza murmured to himself.

He had never heard of that sword style.

But any sword style bearing Konoha's name was sure to be no ordinary art. It might even be some secret technique created by the Second Hokage...

Thinking this, Zabuza grew cautious. His clone raised Kubikiribōchō and said:

"Come at me. Since I'm the senior and you're the junior, and you've made a good impression on me, I'll let you make the first three moves!..."

Three moves? Sasuke was overjoyed, but kept his expression calm.

He had just taken a step forward when Naruto stopped him.

Seeing Naruto frantically signaling him, Sasuke smiled and said frankly:

"No need for tricks."

"You two, don't even think about sneaking in an attack. Senior Zabuza and I are having a fair duel..."

Naruto's face went dark at that. His little scheme had been exposed, so he had no choice but to give up on the sneak attack.

Sakura gathered her courage and grabbed the hem of Sasuke's clothes. Her emerald eyes brimmed with affection.

"Be careful..."

Sigh...

Seeing Sakura like this, Sasuke didn't know what to make of it. He could only pat her fair hand to reassure her.

Turning around, Sasuke gripped his ninja sword tightly. Chakra surged around him as he said confidently:

"Senior, be careful. I'm coming!"

"Go ahead. Don't worry about me..."

Whoosh!

As soon as the words left his mouth, Sasuke vanished from where he stood.

In the next instant, he was already fighting Zabuza's clone.

The clash of metal rang out once more, swords and blades striking with a flurry of clanks.

In terms of swordsmanship alone, the fight was every bit as spectacular as the brief clash between Zabuza's original and Kakashi earlier!

They darted and weaved around each other, their blades dancing like dragons and serpents. The whoosh of steel slicing through the air rang out again and again, their exchange a fearsome sight!

"Th-this... His swordsmanship seems even more refined than it was a few days ago. But how is that possible? It's only been a few days?..."

"Could Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao have been training him in private?"

"But Sasuke's swordsmanship seems to be on the verge of surpassing even Gekko Hayate's. Is this just an illusion from overusing my eyes?..."

Trapped in the water prison, Kakashi stared at Sasuke trading blows with Zabuza's clone outside, utterly shocked.

As their former colleague in Anbu, he knew Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao's Konoha Style swordsmanship well.

It was certainly impressive, but it didn't seem to reach the delicate level Sasuke was showing now.

If Sasuke had figured all of this out on his own...

It wasn't impossible, but it was hard to believe. After all, Kakashi himself had been a genius of their generation from childhood.

The sight even made Kakashi forget, for a moment, that he was still trapped in the water prison.

He was completely shaken and began to doubt his entire life...

Naruto's mouth hung open, his jaw nearly dropping off. Seeing how fierce Sasuke was, he stared in stunned disbelief and murmured:

"H-he's... so strong..."

His tone was lovestruck, almost bursting with affection...

Sakura's starry eyes shimmered with wonder. Her breathing grew heavier, and she practically became Sasuke herself:

"He... He's still so strong. Am I really good enough for such an amazing man?..."

She sounded just like an old flame...

Tazuna was so shocked that he stood completely still. His thoughts raced wildly, a stampede of a thousand mud horses thundering through his mind.

"Th-this guy..."

"I was right to suspect him. This team's strongest member might actually be this Sasuke!..."

"He's even stronger than Kakashi. He's held his own this whole time and seems to be gaining the upper hand."

"Konoha really knows how to hide its tricks! Who could've guessed, without seeing it with their own eyes, that the strongest person on the team would be a kid!..."

At this moment, Tazuna had completely overlooked the fact that Kakashi had fought Zabuza's original.

Sasuke was facing only a clone.

As an engineer, a formula suddenly appeared in his mind:

Given:

An elite Jonin is weaker than a Hokage, so.

Kakashi < Third Hokage.

And Zabuza defeated Kakashi, so.

Zabuza > Kakashi.

Therefore:

Zabuza = Third Hokage.

Now Sasuke was suppressing Zabuza, so.

Sasuke > Zabuza = Third Hokage.

"Good heavens! I think I've deduced something incredible..."

"Could this kid, Sasuke, be the Fifth Hokage Konoha has been secretly raising?..."

At that thought, Tazuna seemed to wake from a dream, his face filled with shock.