Haku Plays Dirty; Sōgetsu Steps In!

"The Sharingan brat's plan? Looks like he's trying to force me to use Ninjutsu." Zabuza Momochi shot a cold glance at Sasuke, who was watching him through his Sharingan from a distance.

"Fine, then. Witness my power!"

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!" Zabuza raced through Hand Seals, then slammed both hands onto the ground.

Boom! A waterfall surged up like a massive wave and roared across the bridge. Cracks spread through the ground in its path as it swallowed Naruto's nearly hundred Shadow Clones.

Sakura Haruno watched the wave engulf Naruto. Panic flashed in her eyes. "Naruto!"

That idiot Naruto's greatest strengths were his enormous Chakra reserves and his ability to take a beating.

"One down," Zabuza said with a cold smile.

A pale blue glow shone inside the churning wave. The water began to spin, finally forming a towering Water Tornado.

"Cangyue has been training me this whole time! Don't underestimate what five days can do!"

At the base of the swirling water, more than a dozen of Naruto Uzumaki's Shadow Clones held pale blue spheres of Chakra in their hands.

"That's... the Rasengan!" Zabuza's expression changed. He stared in disbelief at the Chakra spheres held by the clones.

He had seen the Rasengan once before. It was a technique developed by the Fourth Hokage!

Why did this brat know the Rasengan?

And if he knew it, why hadn't he used it last time?

Unless...

Five days.

Had Aogetsu Hyuga taught Naruto the Rasengan in just five days?

What a joke!

How could anyone learn the Rasengan in five days?

No matter how strong Aogetsu Hyuga was, he couldn't teach a useless Genin to master a technique that pushed Shape Transformation to its limit in such a short time!

"Impossible... This brat..." Zabuza's face darkened. Most Genin in Kirigakure couldn't use Ninjutsu at all, yet a Konoha Genin had gone beyond ordinary Ninjutsu and produced a Rasengan.

Was the gap between the two villages' Genin really that wide?

Sasuke Uchiha's face fell as he watched Naruto's dozen-plus Shadow Clones wielding Rasengan at the base of the vortex. "That idiot," he muttered.

That dead-last idiot Naruto hadn't followed his plan!

Sasuke had told Naruto to get close to Zabuza, then use his clones to hold him in place.

Sasuke would disguise himself among the clones and launch a point-blank attack with Chidori.

But...

Naruto Uzumaki had ignored the plan and used Rasengan through his Shadow Clones, throwing Sasuke Uchiha's entire strategy into disarray.

"You looked down on Cangyue! I'll show you the winning move he taught me in five days!"

"Rasengan!"

More than a dozen of Naruto's Shadow Clones leaped at once, driving their Rasengan toward Zabuza.

The enemy had looked down on the person he respected most, and Naruto was furious.

Forget Sasuke's stupid plan. I'm stealing the spotlight with Rasengan first!

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!" Zabuza flashed through Hand Seals. Three enormous water dragons rose behind him, coiled like living creatures, and lunged at Naruto's clones.

Rasengan was dangerous. Even in a brat's hands, it could seriously injure a Jonin. He needed to put some distance between himself and Team 7.

Damn Aogetsu Hyuga. Teaching a Genin something as dangerous as Rasengan—what a troublemaker!

If he let his guard down, Team 7's brats might finish him before Aogetsu Hyuga ever arrived!

"What kind of lousy water dragons are these? I'll smash right through them!" Naruto's clones drove their Rasengan toward the three rapidly approaching dragons.

Naruto wasn't fast enough to outrun the three massive water dragons.

Boom! The dragons tore through every Shadow Clone, while the real Naruto was hurled backward into a wall.

"Cough, cough!" Naruto fell to the ground, his back burning with tearing pain. After several harsh coughs, he spat out a mouthful of bright red blood.

"Damn it... I can't get anywhere near him!" Naruto wiped the blood from his mouth and glared at Zabuza.

"I'd better deal with you first, before you use that Rasengan again!" Zabuza formed a Hand Seal with one hand and vanished into the pale mist.

A bloodthirsty aura swept across the battlefield. Fear showed on every member of Team 7's face.

"Where is he? Behind me?" Naruto looked around wildly, on guard.

"Right in front of you!" Zabuza appeared with the Body Flicker Technique and drove a Kunai toward Naruto's neck.

Rasengan or not, he was still just a brat.

A silver flash streaked toward Naruto. He stared at the sharp Kunai in terror and tried to raise his own to block it, but fear made his hand shake. His Kunai slipped from his grasp.

For the first time, he felt death closing in.

"Naruto!" Sakura ran toward him, but she was too far away to stop Zabuza's attack.

If only she had spotted Zabuza sooner. Discovering him after he'd already struck was too late!

In a heartbeat—

"Get out of the way!" Sasuke shoved Naruto aside. The sharp Kunai pierced both his hands, and blood streamed down his palms. Thanks to his Sharingan, he had spotted Zabuza before anyone else.

"Sa... Sasuke?" Naruto froze, staring at him in disbelief. He had never imagined that the cold, arrogant Sasuke, who always looked down on him, would risk his life to save him.

"You colossal idiot! Now!" Sasuke ignored the pain and grabbed Zabuza's arm.

"This brat..." Zabuza's face darkened. He tried to yank his hand free, but Sasuke held on tight.

"How dare you hurt Sasuke! Die, you bastard!" Sakura sprinted forward on her shapely legs. Fury filled her eyes as she gritted her teeth, clenched her fair-skinned fist, and swung it at Zabuza's back.

Seeing Sakura attack with nothing but her fist, Zabuza felt a wave of relief.

He had thought Sakura might know Rasengan too!

"I risked my life to give you an opening, and you're attacking with just a fist? I—" Zabuza's mocking words cut off.

Crack! Sakura's fist slammed into his back. His bones creaked, then fractured.

"H-how is this possible?!" Blood rose in Zabuza's throat, and he spat out a great mouthful.

Bang! Zabuza flew like a cannonball across the bridge and crashed into a wall. It collapsed over him, burying him beneath huge stones.

"Sakura... you're terrifying." Naruto swallowed as he stared at the pile of rubble covering Zabuza.

If I make Sakura angry again, she might kill me with one punch!

Sakura's face went pale. Her legs gave out, and she sank to the ground, sweat beading on her forehead. "Hah... hah..."

She had concentrated all her Chakra on the surface of her fist. Since she still couldn't control it steadily, she could barely manage one Chakra Enhanced Strength punch.

"Idiot, don't just stand there!" Sasuke shouted coldly.

"Rasengan!" Naruto crossed his hands to form a seal. Poof! Two Shadow Clones appeared in a burst of white smoke and rapidly worked Chakra into a sphere above his palm.

He still couldn't use Rasengan alone. He needed two Shadow Clones to help him, a trick Cangyue had taught him.

"Cough, cough... To think I'd be..." Zabuza shoved the stones aside and staggered out of the wreckage. He spat out a mouthful of blood, steadied himself, and fixed Sakura with an icy, murderous glare.

What was that?

A fist that had looked so weak held terrifying power. What had that damned Aogetsu Hyuga taught her?

That punch might have been as powerful as a Rasengan!

"Damn it. The wounds from Cangyue's bizarre technique still haven't fully healed, and now that punch..." Zabuza's face was pale. The scars across his body had split open, blood pouring from them until he was drenched in it.

Aogetsu Hyuga's Black Coffin had damaged Zabuza severely, inside and out. He had nearly died then.

He had come to this fight against Team 7 still badly injured. Otherwise, he could have easily dodged Sakura's attack.

"This hit finishes you!" Naruto appeared before Zabuza with a Rasengan in hand and thrust it toward his stomach.

"Water Release: Water Prison Technique." Too weak to move away, Zabuza caught Naruto's wrist and formed a seal with his other hand.

Water gathered from the ground and wrapped around Naruto, forming a sphere that trapped him inside.

"Mmph!" Naruto struggled violently, but nothing worked. He couldn't even move his fingers. The water was crushingly heavy, weighing several tons.

Sasuke was about to move.

"I wouldn't try anything. One little push, and I can kill this blond brat!" Zabuza struggled to breathe and fought to stay conscious. He shot a cold glance at Sakura, who was kneeling on the ground.

Was that punch all Sakura had left?

Good!

The blond brat was trapped in the Water Prison. That meant the only one still able to fight was...

Zabuza looked coldly at Sasuke.

All that remained of Team 7's fighting strength was the Sharingan brat. If Zabuza dealt with him, the others were as good as dead!

"Tch." Sasuke clicked his tongue and fixed his Two-Tomoe Sharingan on Zabuza.

Naruto, you idiot. You really know how to drag us down!

"Ninja are tools for killing. Feelings only get in the way. How could sentimental brats like you ever beat me?" Maintaining the seal with one hand, Zabuza kicked a Kunai lying by his foot toward them.

"Sakura Haruno, was it? Kill Sasuke Uchiha now, or I'll kill Naruto Uzumaki!" Zabuza's arm trembled slightly, and the suspended sphere of water tightened. Naruto's bones creaked under the pressure.

"Naruto... Sasuke..." Sakura's face drained of color. She bit her lip so hard it bled, her frightened eyes fixed on the sharp Kunai at her feet.

What should I do?

Naruto was annoying, and she liked Sasuke far more.

But Naruto was an important teammate!

If she didn't kill Sasuke, Naruto would die.

What am I supposed to do?

Tears welled in Sakura's eyes. "Cangyue..." she murmured.

"Mmph!" Naruto's face had gone pale. Bubbles escaped his mouth as he looked toward Sakura. He forced an awkward smile and, with great effort, raised a thumb, as if telling her not to listen to Zabuza.

"Naruto..." Sakura went still.

Haku Breaks the Rules, Cangyue Steps In! ### "An A-Rank Missing-nin from Kirigakure, reduced to a cheap trick like this?" Sasuke stood with his hands in his pockets, looking coldly at Zabuza. He appeared calm, but cold sweat ran down his back.

His back was soaked!

"Foolish boy. You're nowhere near as good as Aogetsu Hyuga at getting under my skin."

Zabuza sneered down at Sasuke. "I told you, Ninja are tools for killing. No matter how underhanded the method, completing the mission is what gives a Ninja's life value!"

Zabuza poured more Chakra into the technique. The sphere grew heavier, and Naruto grimaced inside it.

"Choose, now! Are you going to stand there and watch me kill this blond brat?" Zabuza turned to Sakura, his voice icy. "I may be the one who kills him, but you're the one making the choice. Keep hesitating, and it'll be as good as killing him yourself!"

Three stupid little brats!

Did they really think being Ninja was easy?

Every mission demanded a heavy price!

Did they think all Ninja could play around as happily as Aogetsu Hyuga?

Naive!

The moment a tool like a Ninja developed feelings, failure was inevitable!

Meanwhile, in the distance—

Aogetsu Hyuga sat cross-legged atop a large ship, holding a bowl of steaming Ramen. With his Tenseigan, he calmly watched the bridge far away.

"Things have gotten interesting." Aogetsu Hyuga's lips curved into an intrigued smile.

What would the Ping Xiong brat choose?

Would she kill the handsome Sasuke she adored, or watch the Naruto she found annoying die?

Given the Ping Xiong brat's personality, she would probably stay silent.