The Flying Thunder God Mark on Zabuza's Neck

Dozens of Shadow Clones shouted in unison, making quite a spectacle.

Their combined Ninjutsu took shape again. Dozens of whirlwinds swept up the water, forming torrents that spun at high speed and surged straight toward Zabuza's new Water Clone.

Surprise crossed the Water Clone's face. That blond brat really wasn't so simple after all.

"But that's as far as you go! Nothing interests me more than killing a genius!" The Water Clone sneered and formed hand seals of his own.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

As soon as he spoke, a wall of water rose and blocked Naruto's combined Ninjutsu completely.

Naruto looked unsurprised. He had used the combined Ninjutsu to block Zabuza's view.

When the Water Formation Wall fell, ten Shadow Clones had already used Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique to pass beneath the Water Clone and emerge behind him. They leaped out and hurled ten Fūma Shuriken at the real Zabuza a short distance away!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

"Damn brat!" Zabuza glared at the Fūma Shuriken hurtling toward him. Holding the Kubikiribōchō in his left hand, he knocked aside the two that were about to strike him.

"Hah! You can't even throw Ninja Tools properly, and you call yourself a Ninja? Has Konoha fallen that far?"

Zabuza watched the other eight Fūma Shuriken fly wide and spoke with open contempt.

"Hah, is that so?"

Eight voices suddenly sounded behind Zabuza, then shouted together:

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

Zabuza spun around in alarm. The eight Fūma Shuriken that had missed had turned into Naruto, and all eight unleashed whirlwinds straight at him!

"Damn it!" Zabuza roared. He had no choice but to release the Water Prison Technique he was maintaining with his right hand and leap aside.

"Well done, Naruto!"

Kakashi watched Naruto's chain of attacks with admiration. He was beginning to regret refusing to train Naruto. The boy truly had talent.

Freed from the Water Prison Technique, Kakashi immediately struck back at Zabuza.

He had achieved his goal of testing Naruto and the other two. Now it was his turn to show what he could do.

After exchanging several blows at close range, Kakashi and Zabuza retreated at the same time, putting ten meters between them before turning to Ninjutsu.

More precisely, Zabuza formed hand seals for the Great Waterfall Technique, while Kakashi copied him perfectly with the Sharingan.

Meanwhile, Naruto's Shadow Clones and Sasuke defeated Zabuza's Water Clone.

Naruto himself watched Kakashi and Zabuza fight from a distance. For now, a battle between two Elite Jōnin was beyond his ability to join.

Besides, he had no intention of joining it. He could wait for an easy opening and steal the finishing blow.

Zabuza decided to defeat Kakashi in one stroke with his specialty, Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique. The rapid hand seals would let him show off a little, too.

But he had forgotten why Kakashi was called the Copy Ninja. Kakashi copied him perfectly and unleashed the Water Dragon Bullet Technique at the same time.

Two enormous water dragons rose from the lake, climbed into the air, and tore into each other until both were destroyed.

Once their Ninjutsu ended, Kakashi and Zabuza seized the chance to attack with Taijutsu.

Kakashi's strange tricks left Zabuza rattled. Unwilling to accept what had happened, he sprang back and prepared another attack with his signature Great Waterfall Technique.

But once again, Kakashi copied every movement perfectly. He even matched Zabuza's words exactly!

Zabuza's composure began to crumble. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He had finished forming the hand seals, but no matter what he did, he could not release the Ninjutsu.

He could only watch as Kakashi gathered the Great Waterfall Technique into a violently spinning torrent and sent it crashing into him, crushing him in a single blow.

How is this possible? I was the one trying to use that Ninjutsu on him, yet I couldn't keep up with how fast he cast it!

Shaken, Zabuza slumped weakly beneath a tree. The shock would not leave his eyes. Kakashi had surpassed the Water Release Ninjutsu he prided himself on in a way he could not understand.

The strain broke Zabuza's spirit. Coupled with the impact of the attack, it left him unable to stand. He was at their mercy.

Kakashi versus Zabuza: a complete victory!

But to Naruto, Kakashi's use of the Sharingan was painfully crude.

Kakashi had had plenty of chances to use Genjutsu on Zabuza and end the battle sooner, but he had done nothing of the sort.

Instead, he had beaten his enemy with that elaborate performance and exhausted what little Chakra he had.

"It's over!"

Just as Kakashi stepped forward to finish Zabuza with a Kunai, two Senbon flew in from the side and pierced Zabuza's neck.

Zabuza fell at once and stopped breathing.

Everyone turned toward the uninvited newcomer who had fired the Senbon and went on guard.

Naruto sneered inwardly. The newcomer wore wooden sandals and a Mask. It was Yuki Haku, who had been hiding nearby all along.

"He really is dead, isn't he?" Yuki Haku stood on a nearby branch, looking down at the motionless Zabuza with a cold smile.

Keeping watch on the newly arrived Haku, Kakashi approached Zabuza's "corpse" and checked for himself that he was dead.

Naruto's eyes shifted. He walked over too and touched Zabuza's neck, as though he also wanted to confirm the death.

But unseen by anyone, Naruto had left a Flying Thunder God Mark on Zabuza's neck.

It was like the Flying Thunder God Mark the Fourth Hokage had left on Obito during the Nine-Tails' attack. Such a mark was invisible, and only the one who placed it could sense it.

Obito had gone more than a decade without knowing the mark was on him.

"Thank you so much," Haku said, bowing sincerely to Kakashi. "I've been waiting for a chance to kill Zabuza."

"Judging by your Mask, you're a hunter-Ninja from Kirigakure, aren't you?" Kakashi studied him closely.

"As expected of you. You know so much," Haku said, flattering him.

Kakashi backed away from Zabuza's body to let Haku take it. Ordinarily, he would have accepted that arrangement to avoid a dispute between Konoha and Kirigakure.

But Kakashi had not yet realized that the masked Haku was Zabuza's accomplice, not a hunter-Ninja at all.

As Haku reached Zabuza's "corpse" and prepared to carry it away, two Kunai whistled through the air toward it.

Haku immediately drew a long Senbon and knocked them aside.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sakura demanded, displeased.

Kakashi and Sasuke also looked at Naruto in surprise.

"Hey, you in the Mask. I just wanted to make sure Zabuza was dead. Why stop me? You must have noticed those Kunai weren't aimed at you!"

Naruto grinned as he questioned Haku, his hands already forming seals.

Haku was left speechless and scrambled to think of an answer.

Kakashi finally sensed that something was wrong. Kunai in hand, he turned a wary gaze on Haku.