Giving the Enemy Three Minutes?
Tazna looked utterly baffled. "What's going on?" he asked drunkenly.
"I never expected to meet the famous Disaster Ninja. To think someone as reckless as you would be leading a team." An indifferent voice rang out. Then everyone saw a figure moving through the pale mist.
As the figure came into focus, Team 7 saw a tall man wrapped in bandages.
Kirigakure's A-Rank Rogue Ninja, the Demon Zabuza Momochi!
Every member of Team 7 went on guard against Zabuza.
"You blocked that last strike. Seems you do have some skill." Zabuza ignored Team 7 and stared coldly at Aogetsu Hyuga, unleashing a massive wave of killing intent.
The blood-soaked killing intent spread through the white mist. Its crushing pressure left Team 7 struggling to breathe.
"S-so scary!" Sakura Haruno's face went pale. Fear filled her eyes, and her slender body shook violently. The hand holding her kunai trembled.
Who was this man?
What a terrifying presence!
That murderous aura was just like Cangyue-sensei's when he tested them at Training Ground Seven!
"This man is dangerous." Sasuke Uchiha fixed his Two-Tomoe Sharingan on Zabuza as he approached. Even he was trembling under that killing intent.
He knew Zabuza was an enemy Team 7 could not defeat!
"So this guy's the enemy? He feels... really strong." Naruto Uzumaki gritted his teeth and stared at Zabuza Momochi. He had only just sworn to stand firm, but that overwhelming killing intent still frightened him.
Who was this bandaged man? How could someone so terrifying exist?
This was Team 7's first encounter with an enemy of Zabuza's caliber.
Aogetsu Hyuga ate his dango and put on a look of surprise. "Oh, was that an attack? Sorry, sorry. I thought you were giving me a welcome present."
Zabuza Momochi's expression darkened. He could hear the mockery in Cangyue's voice.
"If you're wondering how I blocked it so easily, infuse something with Nature Transformation and you can make just about anything hard. Handy, right?" Aogetsu Hyuga waved his dango skewer.
"Who asked you?" Zabuza Momochi glanced at the Kubikiribōchō on Cangyue's back. "Give me my sword. That's my weapon!"
Honestly,
he had never expected Cangyue to be so shameless. Even when Zabuza had lost a fight before, no one had taken his Kubikiribōchō.
He had only thrown his sword to make an entrance, yet Cangyue had simply taken it.
No respect at all!
"Who asks for a gift back after giving it? You won't make many friends that way." Aogetsu Hyuga toyed with the Kubikiribōchō, spinning the greatsword on a fingertip like a ball.
Still want to make a flashy entrance in front of me?
Showing off comes at a price.
Let's see how you do it without your sword!
"..." The members of Team 7 thought the same thing.
He wanted something back after it landed in Cangyue-sensei's hands?
Dream on!
If one of Team 7 dropped a wallet, Cangyue-sensei would claim it. And this bandaged man had thrown a sword straight into his hands!
"It really is a fine sword. I bet it'll fetch a decent price. I'm short on money lately, and those gorgeous ladies at the tavern are waiting for me to buy out the place." Aogetsu Hyuga stopped spinning the Kubikiribōchō and slung it across his back.
Selling the Kubikiribōchō to Kirigakure should bring in a good price.
"Fool. The Kubikiribōchō is a symbol of strength, a priceless treasure of the Shinobi World!" Cold killing intent flashed in Zabuza Momochi's eyes. He had never met anyone as thick-skinned as Cangyue.
Sell the Kubikiribōchō?
Cangyue actually dared to say that?
The Kubikiribōchō was a treasure of the Shinobi World, one of only seven Famous Swords.
A symbol of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!
"You really piss me off. The sword will be mine again once you're dead. Let me see if you're as strong as the rumors say!" Zabuza Momochi formed hand seals, and pale mist enveloped his body.
"Mist Body Flicker!"
The pale mist thickened, and the crushing killing intent grew heavier. Team 7 turned pale and watched their surroundings with extreme caution.
"You still need hand seals? I'll wait, then." Aogetsu Hyuga stayed where he was and calmly ate his dango.
"Arrogant bastard. I'll start with the brats!" Zabuza Momochi vanished and reappeared behind Team 7.
"S-so fast!"
Team 7 froze. A chill ran down their backs, and panic filled their eyes. Fear gripped them so completely that none could react.
"Hands, feet, legs, waists, hearts. Where would you like me to start?" The indifferent voice came from behind Team 7.
Zabuza Momochi gripped a kunai and slashed at Tazuna's neck. He knew Cangyue had some skill, so he intended to eliminate the mission target first.
Aogetsu Hyuga became a streak of electricity and appeared behind Zabuza in an instant. He spoke in a teasing, suggestive voice. "Mouth or ass? Where would you like me to start?"
So fast! He's faster than me even in the mist! Zabuza Momochi's expression shifted. He had not sensed Cangyue at all before hearing him speak.
No, that wasn't the Body Flicker Technique!
That azure electricity...
Was Cangyue using Lightning Release Armor like the Raikage's?
Smack! The sharp sound rang out, jolting Team 7 free of the killing intent that had stunned them. Zabuza Momochi flew from the slap, tumbled through the air, snapped two large trees, and crashed heavily to the ground.
Three Minutes for the Enemy?
"What happened?!"
Every member of Team 7 stood frozen, shock filling their eyes. None had managed to react before Zabuza went flying.
It had happened in an instant. A single instant!
If Cangyue-sensei had not acted, Team 7 might already have been wiped out!
"Who is this guy? What an incredible ninja!" Naruto Uzumaki stared at Zabuza Momochi in terror, his kunai trembling in his hand.
Even he could tell the bandaged man was countless times more frightening than the three Black-Clad Ninja they had faced earlier!
"A jonin from Kirigakure, and an A-Rank Rogue Ninja. The Demon, Zabuza Momochi." Aogetsu Hyuga rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I think he once killed a hundred ninja single-handedly. I suppose he's fairly strong?"
He found it hard to define strong. Below the Six Paths, everyone was insignificant!
"D-Demon? Zabuza Momochi?" Naruto Uzumaki looked bewildered. What a weird name for an old guy.
"He's a jonin?!" Sakura Haruno's pupils contracted. She stared in fear at Zabuza, who lay amid the wreckage in the distance.
No wonder he was so terrifying. He was a fighter of the same rank as Cangyue-sensei!
She knew Aogetsu Hyuga was powerful, so she assumed every jonin was as strong as he was.
"An A-Rank Rogue Ninja..." Sasuke Uchiha's expression changed drastically. Cold killing intent entered his eyes as he pictured a man from behind.
Uchiha Itachi!
Uchiha Itachi was a rogue ninja too!
A ninja who could live freely after becoming a rogue was bound to be powerful!
Sasuke Uchiha glanced at Cangyue. The enemy was a jonin, the same rank as Cangyue-sensei.
The enemy had nothing to worry about, while Cangyue-sensei had to protect Team 7 and their client even as he fought for his life.
The situation was bad!
"Tch." Sasuke Uchiha's expression hardened, anger flashing in his scarlet Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
I'm a member of the Uchiha Clan, yet I let fear make me a burden.
What a joke!
I'm an avenger!
Aogetsu Hyuga saw Sasuke's expression and could roughly guess what he was thinking. He rested a hand on Sasuke's head and smiled. "We'll win."
A burden?
Team 7 certainly was a burden, and that old man was getting in the way.
But...
We'll win anyway, so what does it matter?
This is just a fun little game. No need to take the enemy so seriously.
"Cangyue-sensei." Team 7 paused and looked at Aogetsu Hyuga. Seeing his confidence, they all felt reassured.
Strange.
Very strange.
They had been terrified a moment ago, but after hearing Cangyue-sensei's words, their fear vanished completely. In its place came a sense of security.
"You sensed what I was really after and moved first, even in the mist. Disaster Ninja Aogetsu Hyuga, you're as strong as they say." Zabuza Momochi rose to his feet. A bright red handprint marked his face, and his eyes were wary.
Aogetsu Hyuga had actually slapped him in the face!
But the real problem was...
Strange.
What was going on?
According to his intelligence, Aogetsu Hyuga was a member of the Hyuga Clan but lacked its Kekkei Genkai. He did not have the Byakugan's ability to see through things and track targets.
And that seemed to be true.
When they met, Zabuza had seen that Aogetsu Hyuga did not have the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan. Instead, he had a peculiar pair of sky-blue eyes.
If so, how had Cangyue tracked his movements through the chakra-laden white mist with perfect accuracy?
Within that mist, Zabuza could hide his presence completely. He could even use it for the Body Flicker Technique.
Had Aogetsu Hyuga seen right through his plan to eliminate Tazuna, the mission target, first?
"According to my intelligence, you don't have the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan, do you?" Zabuza Momochi wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and stared warily at Cangyue in the distance. His gaze shifted briefly to the Kubikiribōchō.
If he had had the Kubikiribōchō just now, he could probably have dealt with Tazuna and those useless genin of Team 7 with ease.
He was at his strongest when wielding the Kubikiribōchō!
Aogetsu Hyuga kept his hands in his pockets and looked calmly at Zabuza Momochi. "Your intelligence is right. I don't have the Byakugan."
That was true.
He did not have the Byakugan. He had the Tenseigan.
The Tenseigan let him see Zabuza's movements clearly through the unusual chakra-laden white mist.
But many people across the Entire Shinobi World had the wrong idea. They assumed that because Cangyue did not have the Byakugan, he could not use its abilities. Few knew that his Tenseigan could.
Aogetsu Hyuga had not been hiding it. Other people's assumptions had created that misunderstanding.
It was understandable, though.
Almost no one in the Entire Shinobi World knew what the Tenseigan could do.
"Are you saying you can predict what I'm thinking?" Zabuza Momochi frowned.
If the intelligence was correct and Cangyue did not have the Byakugan's ability to see through things, was he simply smart enough to predict Zabuza's next move?
He had appeared to attack Cangyue, but his real target had been Tazuna. Cangyue had anticipated it easily and stopped him.
The Disaster Ninja... What a frightening kid!
"These brats seem scared of you. They think that because we're both jonin, protecting them while defending against your attacks will put me in a tough spot." Aogetsu Hyuga unwrapped a lollipop and put it in his mouth. He glanced at Team 7. "As their teacher, I ought to correct that misunderstanding."
The members of Team 7 looked confused. They did not understand what Cangyue-sensei meant.
Correct a misunderstanding?
What did he mean?
"You became a jonin because you were strong enough to be one." Aogetsu Hyuga looked toward Zabuza and sucked on his lollipop. "I'm a jonin because... there's no rank above it."