Konoha: The kunoichi fell apart after the diary was exposed

After all,

Naruto Uzumaki stood there with a kunai,

and before the towering Zabuza and his Kubikiribōchō, he looked as frail as a blade of grass.

They could almost see the Kubikiribōchō cutting Naruto in two.

But in the next instant,

both of them widened their eyes in disbelief.

Clang!

The Kubikiribōchō struck the steel kunai, sending dazzling sparks flying.

Naruto

had actually blocked Zabuza's attack.

"Is that... wind-style Chakra?!"

Kakashi Hatake noticed it at once.

Naruto had coated his kunai in wind-style Chakra. That was how he had blocked the Kubikiribōchō with it.

"When did he learn to do that?"

Kakashi could not help muttering.

Sasuke Uchiha was not as sharp-eyed as Kakashi, but he was just as stunned.

How had Naruto

become so strong?

Unlike Kakashi and Sasuke, Zabuza was not surprised.

After all,

during their earlier exchange,

Naruto Uzumaki had already shocked him once.

So,

the moment his strike was blocked, Zabuza launched a relentless assault without hesitation.

As he saw it,

even if a kid like Naruto Uzumaki could block his attacks, doing so had to drain his stamina.

He refused to believe

the kid could last long

under an assault this fierce!

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Metal rang against metal again and again, and Zabuza grew more alarmed with every exchange.

It had been so long.

How could the kid seem completely fine

after fighting at this intensity?

Zabuza was already panting, yet the kid's breathing remained steady.

What kind of monster is he?!

"Naruto... he's so strong!"

Sasuke Uchiha, who had been watching from the side, had already activated his Sharingan.

But even then,

he could barely follow Naruto and Zabuza's movements.

If his eyes could not keep up, his body certainly could not.

"Sasuke, don't throw your life away."

"That enemy isn't someone you can handle."

Naruto's earlier words suddenly surfaced in Sasuke Uchiha's mind, and he clenched his fists.

Naruto was right.

If Sasuke got caught up

in a fight like this,

he would probably die on the spot.

"Damn it!"

"How did he get so strong?!"

Sasuke Uchiha bit his lip as anger flared inside him.

Ever since they graduated from the Ninja Academy, Naruto had outdone him at every turn.

After awakening his Sharingan, Sasuke had been secretly pleased, believing he had finally surpassed Naruto.

But now,

reality had slapped him in the face.

For a moment,

emotions flooded Sasuke's mind, and the tomoe in his One-Tomoe Sharingan began to spin rapidly.

Kakashi Hatake nearly choked as he caught his breath.

This...

Is that really Naruto?

A Genin fresh out of the Ninja Academy?

"Kid, are you even taking this seriously, you bastard?!"

Zabuza could not help shouting at Naruto Uzumaki's relaxed expression.

Their exchange had made it clear to him that Naruto had not been fighting at full strength.

It felt like an insult.

He was an Elite Jonin, yet a mere Genin was looking down on him?

"If you're going to put it that way, I'll stop playing around."

"I'll finish this now."

Naruto Uzumaki shrugged.

He really had been holding back.

After all,

what he lacked most right now was combat experience.

An Elite Jonin like Zabuza made an excellent sparring partner.

Unfortunately,

anger had thrown Zabuza's attacks into disarray.

In that case,

Naruto was done playing.

The moment Naruto Uzumaki's gaze changed, Zabuza sensed a presence that made his heart seize.

Beneath its pressure,

he felt like a tiny boat at sea, about to be swallowed by a raging wave.

I'm going to die!

Cold sweat drenched Zabuza in an instant.

Not even when he had attempted to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage had he felt such despair.

Before he could move, a flash of yellow crossed his vision.

He had no time to see what had happened

before his body went flying.

The threat of death brought Zabuza back to his senses. He dared not continue trading Taijutsu blows with Naruto. Instead, he pulled back at once, his hands racing through Hand Seals.

Seeing Zabuza's hands blur through the seals, Naruto Uzumaki laughed. Rather than pursue him, Naruto made just three simple seals.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

The Nine-Tails: Great, now I'm the scapegoat

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

Though Naruto Uzumaki had started later, he finished first. An enormous water dragon appeared out of thin air and slammed Zabuza away.

Splurt!

Zabuza lay on the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.

That last blow

had made him feel as though every bone in his body had come loose.

"How did you make those seals just now?"

Zabuza stared in shock at Naruto Uzumaki as he approached.

Unless Zabuza's eyes had deceived him, Naruto had performed the Water Dragon Bullet Technique with only three seals.

But

how was that possible?

Wasn't that technique

supposed to require more than forty seals?

And besides,

Naruto's speed just now

had been absurd.

"Want to learn?"

Naruto Uzumaki smiled and kicked Zabuza several yards away.

If anyone in the Shinobi World played by the book, it was Zabuza.

Apart from him and Kisame Hoshigaki, hardly any ninja bothered to perform all their Hand Seals.

Bang!

With a thunderous crash, Zabuza was completely defeated, and his Water Prison Technique collapsed.

Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke all rushed over.

"Naruto, can you explain yourself?"

Kakashi ignored Zabuza on the ground and fixed his gaze on Naruto Uzumaki.

Even an S-rank Missing-nin,