Flying Thunder God Slash

Yuki Haku thought for a moment but could not come up with a good explanation. He simply picked up Zabuza's body and ran.

Naruto formed hand seals and blew a whirlwind at him, but Haku's Body Flicker Technique was too fast. He vanished in the blink of an eye.

Naruto could only sigh. Then he looked curiously at Kakashi, who had not moved at all.

Kakashi weakly pulled his forehead protector down over his left eye, then collapsed to the ground with a thud and passed out.

He had overused his Sharingan. No wonder he had let Haku take Zabuza away.

"What a fragile guy!"

Naruto stared at Kakashi's left eye, tempted to act. But he could sense the two Anbu Ninja nearby who had been watching him, so he reluctantly suppressed the urge.

The next morning.

At Tazuna's house.

Kakashi finally woke up, and Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura gathered around him.

Sakura asked with a worried frown, "Kakashi-sensei, will Zabuza come after us again?"

Kakashi nodded grimly. "Yes. But probably not until his injuries have healed."

Sakura and Sasuke tensed. Zabuza's terrifying strength had left a deep impression on them.

"That's why you three need intensive training while we have the chance. Get stronger quickly, so you're ready for the next fight!" Kakashi told them.

"It's no use! None of it will help!"

A voice suddenly interrupted their discussion.

They turned to see a boy of five or six standing in the doorway, staring at them defiantly.

"You don't stand a chance against Gato! You'll just get yourselves killed!"

"Inari, don't say things like that." Tazuna pulled the boy into his arms and gave the others an awkward look. "This is my grandson, Inari."

Inari broke free of Tazuna's hold and walked away.

Naruto sneered inwardly. He had nothing but contempt for people who were cowards themselves and tried to persuade others to hide alongside them.

Still, the boy was only a little kid, so Naruto let it go.

Besides, Naruto had no desire to comfort him. Everyone lived for themselves, Naruto included. What did it matter to him what anyone else thought, or whether they were cowards?

All he cared about now was getting stronger. He promptly urged Kakashi to take the three of them into the nearby woods.

"I hear you've mastered Tree-Walking. Well done!" Kakashi praised the three of them before continuing.

"Your fundamentals should be solid enough now. Next, I'll teach each of you a powerful Ninjutsu."

As he spoke, Kakashi glanced at Naruto. He was a little surprised to see no reaction from him.

"Let's start with Naruto. What Ninjutsu have you mastered so far?" Kakashi asked.

"All the C-Rank Wind Release Ninjutsu, plus Earth Release Ninjutsu and Water Release Ninjutsu. I also know the Clone Technique, Transformation Technique, Substitution Technique, and Multiple Shadow Clone Technique."

Naruto answered calmly. He had stopped expecting anything from Kakashi, so he felt neither grateful nor excited about the offer.

He would treat it as an ordinary relationship between a superior and his subordinate.

"Hmm. Judging by your abilities and how you fought yesterday, you should be around Chunin level now," Kakashi said approvingly. "Not bad."

"Since we'll be facing Zabuza again, I think you should try learning a B-rank Wind Release Ninjutsu. It might help counter his Hidden Mist Technique."

Kakashi then taught Naruto the hand seals and Chakra flow for the B-rank Ninjutsu Wind Release: Hurricane.

"Thanks." Naruto nodded to Kakashi and went off to practice.

Kakashi watched Naruto's retreating back and shook his head helplessly. Then he turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke, you've already mastered C-rank Fire Release Ninjutsu, haven't you?"

When Sasuke nodded, Kakashi continued, "Then I'll teach you an A-rank Lightning Release technique I created myself: Lightning Release: Chidori."

Not far away, Naruto heard the chirping from Kakashi's hand and curled his lip.

In the original story, Kakashi had taught Sasuke this devastating Ninjutsu before the third round of the Chunin Ninja Exams. Sasuke had gone on to develop it into Chidori Stream.

Meanwhile, Kakashi had handed Naruto over to Spectacle Teacher Ebisu, at least until Jiraiya appeared.

But that was beside the point.

"Wind Release: Hurricane!"

"Wind Release: Hurricane!"

"Wind Release: Hurricane!"

Naruto pulled his thoughts back to the present and clapped his hands. Fifty Shadow Clones appeared around him. Without a word, they spread out and began practicing the Wind Release: Hurricane they had just learned.

Fifty Shadow Clones was the ideal number. Any more, and they would not last as long. Releasing them would also put a greater strain on his mind.

Watching Naruto train with fifty Shadow Clones—fifty times the training speed any of them could manage—Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura all looked envious.

After teaching the three of them their Ninjutsu, Kakashi leaned on his crutch and went back to Tazuna's house to rest. He left them to train on their own, apparently unconcerned about any danger.

The two Anbu Ninja hiding nearby to watch Naruto could only rub their foreheads. One murmured to the other:

"Captain Kakashi is as laid-back as ever."

Naruto's real body blended in among his fifty Shadow Clones. He sensed Kakashi leave and the two Anbu Ninja concealed nearby, and a faint, imperceptible sneer touched his lips.

His sensory range now extended a hundred kilometers.

Right now, he could sense Yuki Haku ten kilometers away, staying close beside Zabuza in their hiding place.

At noon, Haku went out to gather herbs and buy food, leaving Zabuza alone. Naruto knew his chance had come.

Bang, bang, bang!

Puffs of smoke appeared. Only Naruto's real body remained, sitting on the ground and panting as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. Then he returned to Tazuna's house with Sasuke and Sakura for lunch.

No one would notice whether he had dismissed fifty Shadow Clones or forty-nine.

Meanwhile, under cover of the smoke, one Shadow Clone used the Flying Thunder God Technique to follow the Flying Thunder God Mark Naruto had left on Zabuza's neck the day before. He appeared beside Zabuza ten kilometers away.

He held a kunai in each hand. The instant he appeared beside the mark on Zabuza's neck, the kunai in his right hand plunged into it.

"Flying Thunder God Slash!"

Zabuza was resting in bed. Before he could react, blood sprayed from his neck.

He stared wide-eyed at Naruto. He could not imagine how the boy had reached him, much less stabbed him to death before he could respond.

Kirigakure's elite Ninja had hunted him for years and tried to assassinate him countless times, yet he had escaped every attempt.

He had never expected to fall to this brat!

The Demon, an Elite Jōnin, had died without even knowing how!

Tobirama Senju had once used Flying Thunder God Slash to grievously wound Uchiha Izuna. Now Naruto Uzumaki had used it to kill Zabuza Momochi.

Zabuza might have been only an early formidable foe in the overall story, but to Naruto right now, he was worth a wealth of rewards.

Ding! Congratulations, host. You have killed one Jonin and earned 100 points.

Ding! You can sell the Kubikiribōchō to the System Mall for 100 points. Sell it?

"Sell it!"

Naruto chose to sell it without hesitation. The Kubikiribōchō was weak, and he had no use for it.

Then he cut off Zabuza's head and took it to the place where he had killed two Genin assassins earlier, using the Flying Thunder God Technique once more. He buried it there.

That way, everyone would assume that a Kirigakure pursuer or a bounty hunter had killed Zabuza. No one would think to suspect Kakashi's Team 7.

With that done, the Shadow Clone dispelled itself. Back at Tazuna's house, Naruto's real body was eating lunch, an imperceptible smile on his lips.

He looked through the dazzling array of items and skills available in the System Mall, his thoughts racing.

I have 202 points now. What should I exchange them for? A Skill Upgrade Scroll? If so, which skill should I upgrade?