The warmth of Ichiraku Ramen had yet to fade from their memories when Team 7 received their first official mission as ninja.
Inside the Hokage's office, the Third, Sarutobi Hiruzen, looked at the four Genin and one Jonin before him. He blew a smoke ring and handed the mission scroll to Kakashi. "It's a C-rank mission. Escort the client safely back to the Land of Waves. The mission isn't too difficult, so it's a good chance for you to learn to work together."
Standing behind Kakashi was a bespectacled, middle-aged man who trembled with fear: Tazuna, a bridge-building expert from the Land of Waves. He looked ordinary and timid, but Uchiha Ling keenly noticed that beneath his drunken-looking exterior, a trace of anxiety and resolve lay hidden deep in his eyes.
"It's only a C-rank mission? Great! We won't run into any ninja opponents!" Naruto cheered, waving his arms excitedly. Sasuke snorted, while Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.
Only Uchiha Ling felt a chill in his heart. The Land of Waves... He remembered clearly that this was no simple C-rank mission. The Demon of the Hidden Mist, Zabuza Momochi, and Haku, the boy with the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, would put them through their first true test of life and death.
"Let's hope so." Kakashi scratched his silver hair. His tone remained as lazy as ever, but his thoughtful gaze swept over Tazuna before pausing briefly on Uchiha Ling's calm face.
The team quickly assembled and set out, leaving Konoha. Excitement over their first mission kept Naruto and Sakura chattering along the way. Sasuke remained silent, but his eyes held a trace of wariness as he surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings. Uchiha Ling walked quietly near the middle of the team, close to Tazuna. He kept [Basic Aura Sensing] active, scanning everything around them like an invisible radar.
As he walked, he silently practiced the [Chakra Refinement Technique (Efficient Version)], feeling chakra form and flow ceaselessly through him like a stream. At the same time, he repeatedly worked through the prerequisite knowledge for [Lightning Release: Chidori Simplified Instruction] in his mind, trying to understand how Lightning Release Chakra could be both violent and focused. In his mental space, the outline of Asauchi seemed to have grown a little clearer, and his spiritual connection to it had tightened.
The first few days of the journey passed peacefully, until they neared the border of the Land of Fire and entered a marsh shrouded in thick fog.
The air turned damp and chilly, and visibility dropped sharply. Naruto and Sakura's chatter quieted without their noticing, and even Sasuke instinctively tightened his grip on his Kunai. Kakashi still looked lazy, but the hand in his pocket was already poised to form Hand Seals.
Uchiha Ling's senses found the surroundings growing indistinct, but the faint chakra carrying the scent of water and killing intent stood out more and more clearly, like a torch lit in the dark.
"Careful. Something's wrong," Uchiha Ling warned in a low voice. Though quiet, his words instantly put the entire team on alert.
Kakashi gave him an approving glance.
Just then—
"Whoosh!"
A piercing rush of air tore through the fog! A gigantic sword wrapped in chains spun like a whirlwind, chopping toward Kakashi at the front of the team!
It was far faster and more powerful than any Genin could imagine!
"Get down!" Kakashi shouted, shoving Tazuna aside.
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke instinctively ducked. But the instant the giant sword came at them, Uchiha Ling's pupils contracted. [Sharingan Insight Enhancement] let him clearly see the sword's trajectory, as well as... a second attack hidden behind its blade, hurtling silently toward Tazuna's back—a water arrow!
A feint!
The client is still the target! Uchiha Ling realized, his body reacting faster than his thoughts. He didn't duck all the way down. Instead, he drove off the ground, pushing [Wind Release: Speed Attack Technique] to its limit as he slid sideways like he'd teleported, crossing his Kunai in front of his chest.
"Clang!"
The massive Kubikiribōchō skimmed over Kakashi's head and buried itself deep in a tree behind him. The tremendous force from its spinning passage numbed Uchiha Ling's arms and sent him stumbling backward several steps before he regained his balance. But he'd successfully deflected its course with his Kunai, protecting Tazuna behind him.
At almost the same moment, the sinister water arrow missed as well, sinking into the ground where they'd just been standing and leaving a small crater.
"Oh? Not bad, kid." A deep voice, thick with menace, came from the fog. A tall, heavily muscled man with bandages wrapped around his face, leaving only a pair of vicious eyes exposed, stood silently on the hilt of Kubikiribōchō, which was embedded in the tree. His upper body was bare, and he carried another bandage-wrapped sword on his back. His entire body radiated a beastlike menace.
Zabuza Momochi!
The fog thickened under the influence of his chakra, as if it had become his domain.
"That's... the Hidden Mist rogue ninja, Zabuza Momochi!" Kakashi's expression turned grim. He slowly lifted the Forehead Protector covering his left eye, revealing a scarlet eye marked with three Tomoe—the Sharingan!
"Copy Ninja Kakashi... I never thought I'd run into you here." Zabuza's voice held a trace of wariness, but excitement and bloodlust outweighed it. "Looks like this old man's head is worth a lot more than I thought."
Terrifying killing intent spread like a tangible force. Naruto and Sakura turned deathly pale, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, unable even to move. Sasuke was sweating too, gritting his teeth as he struggled against the pressure.
Uchiha Ling also felt his breath catch, his heart gripped by an invisible hand. This was his first time facing the unrestrained aura of a powerful fighter who had survived countless killings. It felt nothing like sparring with Kakashi! But his powerful spirit and [Physique Enhancement (Pain Resistance)] helped him quickly adapt to the pressure. He kept his gaze calm and fixed on Zabuza, analyzing every subtle movement.
[ Ding! Detected a sign-in target: Zabuza Momochi (hostile/encountered).] [Interaction level: Encounter + confrontation (initial).] [Issuing sign-in rewards...] [Congratulations, host! You have obtained: Hidden Mist: Silent Killing Technique Basics! (You have gained some insight into stealth and concealing your presence.)] [Congratulations, host! You have obtained: Water Release: Water Clone Technique (Simplified Version)! (Reduced chakra consumption; weaker clones.)] [Congratulations, host! You have obtained: 150 system points!]
Knowledge about how to hide in the fog, silence footsteps and suppress killing intent, and use the surroundings to deliver a single lethal strike flooded into his mind. He had also mastered a simplified version of the Water Clone Technique. Neither reward directly improved his combat ability, but both the assassination insights and the Water Clone Technique were extremely valuable in the present situation!
"You three, protect Mr. Tazuna!" Kakashi ordered sternly, his Sharingan locked on Zabuza. "Form a cross formation! This guy's completely different from the enemies we've faced before!"
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura forced down their fear and surrounded the trembling Tazuna.
"Heh. So no ninjutsu can escape the Sharingan's notice?" Zabuza sneered, rapidly forming Hand Seals so fast his hands blurred. "Then how about this? Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Technique!"
The fog instantly grew denser, churning like milk and completely blocking their vision. Even teammates standing nearby became indistinct. Zabuza vanished into the mist, leaving only his icy voice, which seemed to come from every direction:
"The throat, the spine, the lungs, the liver... the carotid artery, the subclavian vein... the kidneys, the heart... Which vital spot would you like me to attack?"
A deadly sense of threat coiled around everyone's neck like an icy serpent.
The battle was about to begin!
(The Thirteenth Chapter Ends)
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