After the shock, Zabuza quickly composed himself. His years of cold-blooded living had left him quite capable of controlling his emotions; he had simply been a little too stunned just now...
Once he had steadied himself, he unobtrusively drew the great sword from his back and, seemingly by chance, placed it in front of Haku. His voice was low as he stared straight into Kakashi's eyes.
"I never expected to have the chance to meet Konoha's renowned Kakashi of the Sharingan, either."
After the customary exchange of professional flattery, Zabuza's gaze did not linger on Kakashi, a veteran who had been famous for as many years as he had. Instead, it settled on the two tall boys standing in front of Kakashi, their poses perfectly synchronized.
One blond, one black-haired.
Remembering what he had just felt, Zabuza's eye twitched wildly.
One had subjected him to an imperious spiritual pressure unlike anything he had ever encountered. The other exuded the might of a primordial beast, like a ferocious beast poised to choose someone to devour.
He had only felt a trace of something similar to the latter's aura when he had attempted to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura. The aura coming from Naruto was clearly far purer than Yagura's. Neither its quality nor its quantity was remotely comparable; they were simply on different levels.
Sasuke's was even rarer. Even now, Zabuza felt an ache deep inside his skull-not a headache from having to deal with these two, but a literal, physical headache. When Sasuke had glared at him, the lightning had not even struck him yet, but the thunder and the yin release chakra within it had already left his head swimming.
Calling it yin release chakra made Zabuza wonder whether the Wind-Thunder Resonance had knocked him stupid. Something so