A sharp clang rang out.
After countless strikes from the Sword of Indra,
the Kubikiribōchō was suddenly sliced in half!
Its severed pieces fell to the ground with a clatter.
"This... How is this possible?!..."
Zabuza's face instantly filled with shock.
He didn't know exactly what grade his Kubikiribōchō was,
but it definitely wasn't some piece of scrap metal that could be cut in half so easily!
And yet this sword...
Sasuke gave Zabuza no chance to investigate further. He darted forward and leaped into the air.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent several shuriken hurtling through the air with a sharp whistle, like shooting stars streaking toward Zabuza in the distance!
Zabuza's earlier nonchalant expression vanished. He swung the half of the Kubikiribōchō in his hand, first knocking aside the shuriken Sasuke had thrown.
Then he brought his left hand to his mouth and bit his thumb, drawing blood.
The next moment, he smeared the blood from his fingertip across the blade of the Kubikiribōchō.
In an instant, the Kubikiribōchō, broken into two pieces, was restored before their eyes, like dry bones springing back to life.
This was the Kubikiribōchō's exclusive passive ability: Blood-Drinking Rebirth!
In other words, it was a Ninja Blade that would never become unusable!
"Now that's a fine sword!"
With his Ninja Blade pointed diagonally at the ground, Sasuke didn't take advantage of Zabuza's recovery to launch a sneak attack.
Instead, he held his sword and waited quietly.
The Kubikiribōchō had been restored. Seeing that Sasuke hadn't seized the opportunity to attack, Zabuza nodded approvingly and smiled.
"Kid, in all my years traveling the Shinobi World, you're the most ridiculously talented swordsman I've ever met!"
"What's your name?..."
"Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke..."
Sasuke answered with a smile.
He could tell that Zabuza had held back many times before, afraid of hurting him.
A hero could recognize another hero. Sasuke couldn't help but admire Zabuza.
Though they were on opposing sides, each fighting for his own people,
Zabuza seemed like a decent guy. He was someone Sasuke could get along with...
"Ha ha ha... Uchiha... No wonder. No wonder Konoha has a genius like you..."
"We're even for now. Do you want to keep going?..."
Su Jian smiled and replied,
"No. I still have a few moves I haven't used. I'd like to ask you to give me some pointers, Senior."
"Ha ha ha... Good! Show me what you've got. This time, I won't hold back..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Sasuke didn't waste any more time.
He blurred out of sight as the Body Flicker Technique activated. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared right in front of Zabuza.
Zabuza saw Sasuke leap high into the air, and a flicker of delight crossed his mind.
That move looks flashy, but won't he just be a sitting duck up there?
But before Zabuza could enjoy the thought for even a second,
his expression suddenly changed.
Killing intent gathered around him, sword energy filled the air, and chakra surged.
His eyes couldn't detect anything, but his keen battle instincts as an elite Jonin
told him that a force like a great river reversing course was bearing down on him from above!
Such terrifying power in someone so young—was he even human?
Was the world going mad?
Or was Zabuza going mad?
How could the Konoha Style of swordsmanship be so powerful when he'd never even heard of it before?
Could it be...
"Not good!..."
Zabuza had no chance to remain stunned.
If he didn't move now, it would be no different from admitting defeat.
Zabuza finally stopped hesitating.
He gripped the sword with both hands and swung it upward from below, in a pose as if lifting a flame to the heavens, meeting the descending Sword of Indra head-on!
A clang rang out. Chakra scattered in every direction, and the sound nearly burst their eardrums.
The violent shockwave spread out from the two of them. Like a pebble dropping into a still lake, it sent ripples surging in every direction!
The force was immense, rivaling that of a Jonin!
"Ugh..."
Caught off guard, Naruto, Sakura, and Tazuna were all swept away by the shockwave. They crashed into a thick tree trunk some distance behind them before finally coming to a stop!
But Kakashi, trapped inside the Water Prison Technique, had been completely unharmed by Zabuza's real body. The dome-shaped prison remained as sturdy as ever.
Just a little longer! I'm so close to breaking free. Sasuke, keep it up! Your teacher's counting on you now!...
Kakashi was so absorbed in the scene that he'd forgotten he was still trapped under someone else's jutsu.
Hearing him mutter, Zabuza, who was maintaining the Water Prison Technique, glanced at Kakashi and felt a strange sense of danger rise within him.
I'd better end this lesson for the younger generation quickly...
With a roar, the clash was just like Sasuke's earlier struggle against Kakashi.
Sasuke's last attack, Dance of the Crescent Moon: First Form: Wind Slash,
had been powerful, but his limited skill meant it still couldn't withstand the full force of an elite Jonin.
Like Naruto and the others watching, he was swept away as soon as their attacks met, flying off like a torn sack.
"Your skills are still too weak. Is it over?..."
Seeing this, Zabuza had been about to strike again, but he stopped, lowering the Kubikiribōchō in his hands and muttering to himself.
But just as he let his guard down,
a bang sounded behind him, and a burst of white smoke scattered. The shuriken stuck diagonally into the ground suddenly transformed into Sasuke, who appeared behind Zabuza out of thin air!
"This... The Transformation Technique?"
"But how is that possible? What did he hide behind his back? Could it be..."
As the thought crossed his mind, Zabuza's pupils suddenly shrank!
Could this guy have been using Shadow Clones to fight my Water Clones all along, just like I was doing?
Cold sweat poured down Zabuza's forehead. The more he thought about it, the more shocked he became!
Just who had raised this genius?
At such a young age, he already had such terrifying instincts for battle!
Could he be the reincarnation of the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju?..."
Ever since the battle began, Sasuke's endless array of techniques had kept Zabuza in a state of shock.
But this time, Sasuke showed no sign of stopping.
He leaped into the air, sword in hand, and brought it down in a fierce slash!
At the same time, he shouted,
"Dance of the Crescent Moon: First Form: Wind Slash!"
The same sword technique, the same person.
But this time, perhaps because the real body was wielding the sword,
the power was greater without costing anything extra. The attack was even more formidable than the one his Shadow Clone had used before!
Seeing this, Zabuza didn't dare hesitate this time.
He gripped his sword with both hands, ready to repeat the same move!
But at this crucial moment, with victory hanging in the balance,
a flash of crimson glinted in Sasuke's eyes as he hung in midair!
Then, just as Zabuza was about to raise his sword, he suddenly felt his entire body grow heavy!
Everything turned crimson before his eyes, and his thoughts ground to a halt. The world spun around him. It felt as if his chakra had been sealed; no matter how much strength he had, he couldn't use it!
"Not good! I... I've fallen under a Genjutsu!..."
Before you continue