Konoha: Starting with the Tenseigan and Taking Charge of Team 7

"Hot... hot..." Cangyue Hyuga watched the show while slurping down mouthfuls of Ramen.

In any case,

He ought to thank that Demon of Kirigakure for going to such trouble to help Team 7's scatterbrained brats grow.

Meanwhile, on the bridge,

"Damn it!" Sasuke Uchiha stared at Naruto inside the sphere of water, his face grim. He had never encountered anything like this before, and he was completely at a loss.

Damn it!

What do I do?

Images of the night his clan was massacred flashed through Sasuke Uchiha's mind. Then they gave way to memories of the three members of Team 7 fooling around with Aogetsu.

"Sakura, do it." Sasuke Uchiha lowered his head. His black hair hid his crimson eyes, making his expression impossible to read.

Damn it!

What am I saying?

Am I actually worried about Naruto, that colossal idiot?

"Sasuke..." Sakura Haruno froze. She had never expected Sasuke, so cold and focused only on strength, to worry about Naruto Uzumaki.

Why?

Suddenly, Aogetsu Hyuga's cool voice sounded in the minds of every member of Team 7.

"Do what? Can you use your heads? You're carrying my name, Aogetsu Hyuga, yet you useless brats are still embarrassing yourselves."

"I taught you to think whenever you ran into trouble. Think about what you have in your pockets."

"What situation are you in right now, and what should you do?"

"You little brats, haven't you noticed that the Demon of Kirigakure hasn't moved since earlier?"

"Go ahead and act. If anything goes wrong, I'll handle it."

"Hot... Mm, tonkotsu Ramen really is great."

Cangyue Hyuga had sent his voice straight into Team 7's minds through Chakra.

Every member of Team 7 froze.

"Teacher Aogetsu..." Sakura Haruno's fear vanished, replaced by a surge of reassurance.

Teacher Aogetsu is nearby!

If Teacher Aogetsu is nearby, what do I have to be afraid of?

There's nothing to fear now!

"What's in our pockets..." Sasuke Uchiha frowned, fixing his Sharingan on Zabuza in the distance.

Teacher Aogetsu said the Demon of Kirigakure hasn't moved since earlier.

What does that mean?

He hasn't moved... Could it be?

"Hmph." Sasuke Uchiha gave a cold laugh. "If you're asking what's in our pockets, I can tell you for certain: a way out!"

He finally understood Teacher Aogetsu's hint!

The Demon of Kirigakure hadn't moved because he couldn't. To maintain the Water Prison Technique, he had to keep forming Hand Seals.

And the Demon of Kirigakure couldn't kill Naruto with the Water Prison Technique alone. He would have to pull out a Kunai to do that.

But if he pulled out a Kunai, he couldn't maintain his Hand Seals, and the Water Prison Technique would vanish.

Zabuza Momochi was bluffing!

Teacher Aogetsu really is incredible!

Even watching from a distance, he spotted the Demon of Kirigakure's weakness!

"What happened? Why have these brats calmed down?" Zabuza Momochi's face darkened as he looked at Sakura and Sasuke in the distance, surprise flashing in his eyes.

Sasuke and Sakura had been terrified a moment ago. How had they suddenly relaxed?

What happened?

He couldn't hear the message Aogetsu had sent through chakra.

"You're strong, Demon of Kirigakure. I'll give you that. But Aogetsu is even better." Sasuke Uchiha formed Hand Seals, then gripped his wrist. Azure lightning burst from his palm, packed with astonishing chakra.

The azure lightning in Sasuke's palm hummed, giving off a shrill cry like a bird's. The sound rang across the bridge and stabbed at everyone's eardrums.

"Chidori!" Lightning in hand, Sasuke Uchiha walked toward Zabuza with a cold expression.

He could use Chidori twice a day at most, so he had been saving it as his trump card.

"That move... Chidori? The technique the Copy Ninja invented?" Zabuza Momochi's expression turned ugly as he glared at Sasuke, who was slowly approaching him.

That damned Aogetsu keeps getting in my way!

He hasn't even shown up, and he's still interfering with me!

First came Naruto Uzumaki's Rasengan, then Sakura Haruno's strange Chakra Enhanced Strength. Now Sasuke Uchiha had even used Chidori!

Damn Aogetsu!

In just five days, he had taught every member of Team 7 a powerful technique and made those useless brats this strong!

After only five days, three Genin could put up a fight against him, a member of the Seven Blade Swordsmen!

It's all that damned Aogetsu Hyuga's fault. How does he teach his students?

How did he get three useless Genin to learn such powerful techniques?

Ridiculous!

Just ridiculous!

Still maintaining his Hand Seals, Zabuza Momochi felt the arm holding the sphere of water tremble slightly. His voice was thick with killing intent. "Take one more step, and I'll kill this brat!"

"You say that awfully easily for something you can't do." Sasuke Uchiha looked at Zabuza Momochi with his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, cold and arrogant. Lifting his chin slightly, he sneered, "Idiot. If you can do it, then do it right now."

"Sasuke?" Sakura Haruno was confused. She still hadn't fully understood Teacher Aogetsu's hint.

This brat... He figured out I'm bluffing. Is it the Sharingan's ability to see through things? Zabuza Momochi frowned.

Or was it Aogetsu Hyuga again?

Damn Aogetsu!

Sasuke Uchiha walked up to Zabuza and taunted him in an icy voice. "What's wrong? Go on, do it."

"You can't, can you? If you so much as move, that idiot Naruto will attack you at once, and I'll attack you at the same time."

Sasuke Uchiha sneered. "Even a Jonin like you can't defend against two attacks from point-blank range at once."

"..." Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno went still. After Sasuke Uchiha's explanation, they too began to understand that Zabuza had been bluffing.

But Sasuke is such a show-off!

Teacher Aogetsu gave him the hint, and he's still acting like he figured it all out himself!

"Just die." Sasuke Uchiha drove the lightning in his hand toward Zabuza Momochi's heart.

In that instant,

Zabuza Momochi pulled his hand back and leaped away, trying to put some distance between himself and Sasuke Uchiha.

"Shadow Clone Technique!" Naruto Uzumaki crossed two fingers to form a Hand Seal. With a poof, two Shadow Clones appeared and rapidly worked Chakra into a sphere above his palm.

"Rasengan!" Naruto Uzumaki charged after Zabuza, who was still in midair, Rasengan in hand.

"Chidori!" Sasuke Uchiha leaped forward. Lightning boosted his speed as he thrust his palm toward Zabuza's heart.

"Move and you'll die." A soft voice rang across the bridge. Wearing a white Mask and Kirigakure ANBU clothes, Yuki Haku appeared behind Sasuke and Naruto with a Body Flicker Technique.

Yuki Haku pressed two ice Kunai against Sasuke's and Naruto's necks.

He's fast! Sasuke Uchiha froze, a flash of terror in his eyes.

When did this guy wearing a Mask appear?

If this guy had wanted to kill them, he could probably have finished both him and Naruto in an instant.

"That voice... I've heard it somewhere before." Naruto Uzumaki faltered. The ice Kunai cut the skin of his neck, drawing a drop of crimson blood.

Zetsu feels so familiar!

And I've definitely heard that voice somewhere!

"Sasuke! Naruto!" Sakura Haruno gritted her teeth and struggled to her feet, staring at Yuki Haku's back in surprise.

Isn't he that pretty boy who was laughing and chatting with Teacher Aogetsu earlier?

Zabuza Momochi wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and looked coldly at Yuki Haku. "Haku, you took too long!"

"I'm sorry," Yuki Haku said apologetically.

"Forget it. Kill these brats!" Zabuza Momochi sat on the ground. His injuries were severe, and he could no longer fight.

Yuki Haku's slight frame trembled. After a moment's hesitation, he answered respectfully, "Yes, Mr. Zabuza."

"Even with you here, the outcome won't change!" During Haku's hesitation, Sasuke Uchiha suddenly broke free from Haku's arm and slashed at Haku's slender neck with Chidori.

The lightning in Sasuke Uchiha's palm hummed as it passed straight through Yuki Haku's neck. The figure before him rippled.

"This is... a mirror?" Sasuke Uchiha stared at the ice mirror in confusion. He tried to pull his hand back, only to find it frozen to the mirror.

At the sight, Zabuza Momochi gave a cold laugh. "It's no use. Haku is an even better ninja than I am—the most useful tool I've ever found!"

He believed Yuki Haku was a ninja even more talented and powerful than himself!

Take away his naïve kindness, and Yuki Haku was the perfect tool!

"I'm sorry. Please die for Mr. Zabuza." Haku appeared behind Sasuke and slashed at his neck with an ice Kunai.

He hated taking lives, especially the lives of the children in Team 7. But for Zabuza, he could make himself strong!

If it would fulfill Zabuza's dream, he would do anything!

"Sasuke, what are you doing? How did you fall for such an obvious trap?" Naruto Uzumaki slammed his Rasengan toward Yuki Haku's abdomen. His hand passed straight through, and Haku's figure rippled.

This Yuki Haku is a mirror too!

"Huh? Huh? Huh?" Naruto Uzumaki's hand froze to the ice mirror. No matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't free it.

Colossal idiot! Sasuke Uchiha cursed inwardly. Naruto had just mocked him, only to fall into the same trap himself.

Sasuke Uchiha's hand was frozen to a mirror, leaving him unable to move. Naruto Uzumaki was frozen to another mirror and couldn't move either.

Sakura Haruno drew a sharp breath. She was out of Chakra; even the slightest movement sent pain through her entire body, and her arms and legs had no strength left.

"Haku, what are you doing?" Zabuza Momochi said coldly. "With your strength, you should be able to kill these brats easily. Give up those naïve thoughts. You're just a tool for completing my mission!"

He knew Yuki Haku was hesitating, naïvely hoping to spare Team 7.

Team 7 had grown stronger through training, but Yuki Haku was still strong enough to defeat every one of them with ease!

Because Yuki Haku was a genius ninja who surpassed even Jonin!

"Bastard, shut up!" Naruto Uzumaki shouted. "Tool this, tool that—that's all you ever say! How can a ninja be a tool? Ninja are people too! Of course they have feelings!"

A tool?

Like hell he is!

"Yes, Mr. Zabuza." Haku emerged from a mirror, an ice Kunai in each hand, and slashed at Naruto's and Sasuke's necks.

Sakura Haruno's pupils contracted. "Teacher Aogetsu!" she cried, her voice breaking.

None of Team 7 could move. All they could do now was rely on Teacher Aogetsu!

Aogetsu Hyuga appeared out of thin air, holding his tonkotsu ramen in one hand and swinging the other toward Yuki Haku's face.

Smack! Haku's Mask cracked. His slight body flew a long way before crashing heavily to the ground.

"Teacher Aogetsu!"

Every member of Team 7 breathed a sigh of relief. Now that Teacher Aogetsu had appeared, everything would be fine.

"I believe I said this was supposed to be a fun game. Cheating wasn't part of it." Holding his ramen, Aogetsu Hyuga looked down at Yuki Haku with cool disdain.