This time, Kakashi had given Zabuza a taste of his own medicine, countering him with the very method Zabuza had used against him in the Video. Not only had it cost him nothing, it had felt great!
Even Sasuke gave a rare nod, showing his approval of Kakashi.
He had actually won. Sasuke was a little shocked; he had thought things would turn out just like they had in the Video.
Seeing this, Sasuke grew suspicious, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked at Kakashi.
There had been nothing wrong with Luo Mang's Prophecy about Zabuza. Everything Zabuza had said and done had been exactly the same.
But Kakashi had changed his actions, directly altering the outcome.
"That was awesome, Kakashi-sensei! I want to learn that too!"
Stars practically shone in Naruto Uzumaki's eyes. The stronger ninjutsu he had seen so far had all involved water, and he fervently hoped he would have a water affinity too, so he could learn water ninjutsu.
His students' approval and praise left Kakashi feeling rather pleased with himself.
But pleased and smug as he was, he hadn't let his guard down. He remembered that his opponent had another companion, someone called Haku, or something like that.
"How did you know I would be hiding in the shadows?"
Trapped, Zabuza struggled in vain before sighing helplessly and sitting on the ground. He asked the question in confusion.
He had thought his plan was flawless. After all, when dealing with a powerful opponent, ambushing his students was an even better approach.
But staying nearby was dangerous, so Zabuza had intended to exploit his opponent's panic and turn the tables on him.
Even if he failed to subdue Kakashi, he still had a chance to grab his target and escape.
As long as he could take