"Naruto, a lot of malice is heading this way."
The Nine-Tails' voice rang out in Naruto's mind.
A lot of malice was heading toward them. That had to mean Zabuza was coming with reinforcements.
Naruto's gaze instantly sharpened like a blade. Without a moment's hesitation, he lunged in front of Haku, clamped both hands around his arm joints like iron pincers, then twisted and pushed with precise force!
Then he picked up the rope, wound it around Haku's upper body a few more times, and tied it tight.
"Ngh-!"
A stifled groan of pain escaped Haku's lips.
All strength instantly drained from his arms, leaving them dangling limply. Naruto had deftly dislocated both his shoulders.
The swift, clean maneuver robbed Haku of any ability to form hand seals and fight back.
"Zabuza's coming with reinforcements! A lot of them!"
As soon as Naruto spoke-
Whoosh!
Shing!
No further orders were needed. The well-trained ninja sprang to their feet on instinct.
Even Akamaru instantly shifted into combat mode. The fur along his back bristled as he bared his sharp teeth and let out a low, threatening growl, his small body taut as a bow.
Kakashi reacted fastest, rapidly issuing clear combat orders. Years of battle experience allowed him to devise the best deployment in an instant:
"Hinata, Ino, Sakura!"
He called out the three female ninja.
"You three are responsible for protecting Tazuna and his family inside, along with Jonin Kurenai Yuhi, who's still recovering! Make sure they're safe!"
"Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba!"
His gaze swept over the three boys, who were strong attackers and worked well together.
"You three will face the enemy head-on with me!"
"Shikamaru, Choji, Shino!"
Finally, he turned to the remaining members.
"You three will move with Asuma. Follow his orders and look for opportunities to support