"S-so strong!"
Naruto Uzumaki stared blankly at Chiba standing on the water, unable to recover for a long while.
While Zabuza Momochi's killing intent had terrified them all into near immobility.
Chiba had taken out his Water Clone single-handedly.
Most importantly, he had killed it in an instant!
There had been no wasted movement whatsoever.
Wind Release ninjutsu, paired with an assassination through the Hidden Mist Technique.
He had slain Zabuza Momochi's Water Clone using the very method of attack Zabuza excelled at.
To both Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.
That was just fucking ridiculous.
They had all just graduated from the Ninja Academy. Could the gap between them really be that huge?
Tazuna let out a sigh of relief at the sight, too.
When Kakashi Hatake had been trapped in the water prison, he had thought he was truly going to die this time.
But Chiba's intervention had turned the situation around in an instant.
"Kakashi-sensei, I'll leave the rest to you!"
Chiba backed away across the surface of the water.
Staying in the middle of a battlefield between two jonin was hardly a wise choice.
Their blades clashed, and after a brief exchange, the two abruptly sprang apart.
Ox-Monkey-Hare-Rat-Boar-Bird-Ox...
Zabuza Momochi discovered to his horror that Kakashi Hatake's movements matched his exactly.
"How is that possible?!"
Isn't the Sharingan supposed to copy ninjutsu only after the opponent has performed it? he roared inwardly.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!
Vast amounts of chakra poured into the river beneath their feet at the same time.
In an instant, raging torrents burst out of the river!
The enormous water dragons stood several meters tall, radiating an overwhelming sense of pressure.
The two water dragons faced off, as though they might lunge forward and bite at any moment.
Zabuza Momochi grew extremely wary.
He had realized that Kakashi Hatake was far stronger than he had anticipated.
Boom-
The water dragons sank their teeth into each other, and raging torrents battered the two men.
The entire river seemed on the verge of erupting into a tsunami.
Wave upon towering wave crashed against the banks with thunderous noise.
Zabuza Momochi seized the opportunity to slip underwater, intending to attack from below.
As a former ninja of Kirigakure, he was highly skilled at fighting underwater.
But Kakashi Hatake's Sharingan had already seen through his movements.
The moment he began forming hand seals, Kakashi had already finished his own.
Tiger-Ox-Monkey-Hare-Rat-Boar...
Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!
An enormous sphere of water instantly appeared before Kakashi Hatake.
The surrounding river's water level even dropped a notch or two in an instant.
As chakra was infused into the sphere of water.
The enormous sphere gained considerable destructive power as well.
"How is that possible?!"
Battered by the sphere of water, Zabuza Momochi roared:
"How did you know what ninjutsu I was going to use?"
Boom-
The surging water thundered so loudly it felt deafening.
Zabuza Momochi held the Kubikiribōchō across his chest and endured the Great Waterfall Technique head-on.
Cough, cough!
Bright red blood sprayed from his mouth, staining his bandages.
Leaning against a large tree, he struggled back to his feet and glared at them.
"There's no way I could lo-"
"Don't move."
Chiba's voice came from behind the tree.
"The throat is one of the eight vital points. If it's slit..."
"I'm sure you know the consequences better than I do."
An icy chill pressed against Zabuza Momochi's neck.
He immediately froze in place, not daring to move.
Faced with death, almost no one could suppress their body's instinctive fear.
Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha were already dumbfounded.
They had thought Chiba facing a Water Clone alone was unbelievable enough.
But now, he had actually sneaked up behind Zabuza Momochi.
And he had even pressed a kunai against his neck!
His opponent was a jonin who had slaughtered countless people!
Chiba, don't you have even the slightest sense of awe?!
Naruto Uzumaki screamed inwardly.
He could hardly believe that Chiba, who was the same age as him, could be so much better than he was.
Even Sasuke Uchiha, the best student in their graduating class, was stunned.
Damn it, I can't even measure up to someone my own age.
How am I supposed to kill that man!
A faint red gleam flickered in his eyes.
The sight before him had shaken him far too deeply.
Whoosh, whoosh!
The sound of something slicing through the air came from a distance, and Chiba instinctively moved to block it.
But when he recognized the incoming ninja tools, he forcibly suppressed his reflex.
Two senbon plunged straight into Zabuza Momochi's neck!
Before you continue