But Lei Dou remained where he stood, his hands hanging at his sides. He even closed his eyes, as though he had given up resisting.
"Heh! Too scared to move?"
"Swordsmanship alone won't keep you alive. You're still too green for this brutal Shinobi World! Pick a better place to be born in your next life!"
Lei Dou curled his lips helplessly and picked his ear. "You sure talk a lot. Can you get on with it? I want to go home and eat."
"You're asking for death! I'll oblige!"
A cold gleam slipped soundlessly through the thick mist. Like the Grim Reaper's scythe, the Kubikiribōchō silently appeared behind Lei Dou.
There was no rush of wind, no hint of killing intent.
The blade went straight for Lei Dou's back!
A cruel smile spread across Zabuza's face. You destroyed my sword. I'll offer up your flesh and blood to mourn it!
Clang!!!
A piercing metallic crash exploded through the air, the flying sparks dazzling against the dense mist.
The smile instantly froze on Zabuza's face.
"That's... impossible!!!!"
He stared in horror at Lei Dou, who had turned at the last possible moment and raised Zangetsu in a reverse grip to intercept his ambush with perfect accuracy.
Did this brat have eyes in the back of his head?
No!
That was absolutely impossible!
My Silent Killing Technique is flawless. Even Kakashi couldn't detect me this easily!
Zabuza's scalp prickled. Instinctively, he pulled back, his figure flashing away and vanishing into the mist again.
This was too damned bizarre!
Zabuza Momochi refused to believe it. He frantically drove his chakra, pushing the Hidden Mist Technique to its limit as an eerie blood-red glow radiated from his body.
He darted through the thick mist like a phantom, searching for his next chance to deliver a killing blow.
As his chakra poured out wildly, that power began increasing exponentially.
The terrifying combination of these two techniques was precisely what had earned Zabuza Momochi his infamous reputation as the Demon of the Hidden Mist in a Shinobi World dominated by great nations.
"Brat, how exactly are you pinpointing my position?"
Zabuza's hoarse, bewildered demand came from deep within the impenetrable white mist.
Lei Dou's lips curved into a teasing smile as he replied casually, "Take a guess."
Guess?
At that word, veins bulged on the back of Zabuza's hand as he gripped the Kubikiribōchō, his knuckles whitening from the pressure.
If I could guess, would I waste my breath asking you?
If he could not even deal with a mere newly graduated Genin from Konoha today, his hard-earned reputation as Zabuza Momochi would be utterly ruined. He would never be able to show his face in the Shinobi World again.
The great Demon of the Hidden Mist, brought down by a nobody?
"Hmph! Whatever unknown trick you're using, brat, I don't believe your luck can last forever. Let's see how long you can keep acting so smug!"
The instant he finished speaking, Zabuza's voice seemed to dissolve into the air, vanishing completely.
Clang!!
Clang!!!
Clink, clink!!
Zabuza's figure became a blur in the dense white mist, maintaining an astonishing speed.
He constantly changed his angle of attack, unleashing a storm of slashes at Lei Dou like a phantom.
Yet, astonishingly, Lei Dou casually blocked every single attack without exception.
With the Silent Killing Technique enhancing him, Zabuza's strength and speed had clearly risen several levels, yet he could only fight Lei Dou to a standstill.
Most terrifying of all, no matter how silent, tricky, or concealed his strikes were, Lei Dou always predicted them accurately and intercepted them.
As he listened to the clash of steel coming from deep within the mist, Kakashi remained transfixed.
His one exposed, dull-looking eye was filled with disbelief.
"Has Lei Dou really seen through the Silent Killing Technique that Zabuza takes such pride in?"
That made no sense at all!
How on earth had that brat done it?
Beside him, Sasuke and Naruto were so tense that they barely dared to breathe.
In this blinding mist, even standing right next to each other, they could only vaguely sense one another's presence.
How was Lei Dou blocking the enemy's attacks while fighting with visibility this poor?
Could he have the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan, too?
But the Byakugan was a kekkei genkai. How could Lei Dou have suddenly awakened it out of nowhere?
[Analysis procedure complete] [Congratulations, host. You have successfully acquired new skills: Hidden Mist Technique and Hidden Mist Style: Silent Killing Technique]
The former was a ninjutsu that altered the environment. Although Great Sage had also successfully analyzed the latter, it was essentially an exceptionally advanced assassination technique.
Using his unique talent, Zabuza spread chakra evenly over his entire body, allowing him to move at tremendous speed within the mist.
At the same time, it produced the eerie effect of letting him move without making a sound.
Lei Dou carefully explored the Silent Killing Technique he had just acquired, elation welling up within him. This technique seemed tailor-made for him.
If he combined his Transparent Release kekkei genkai with the Silent Killing Technique, he could truly come and go without a trace, even without the cover of the Hidden Mist Technique.
This was the ultimate form of silent killing!
Transparent Release completely erased Lei Dou's presence and physical form, while the Silent Killing Technique granted him the ability to move at high speed and swing his blade without a sound.
Only when these two powerful abilities worked together would the words "invisible killing" truly fit.
Looks like I'm more qualified than you to inherit that impressive title of Demon, Zabuza!
A piercing gleam suddenly lit up Lei Dou's eyes.
In the next second!
Just as Zabuza had before, Lei Dou instantly entered the special state of the Silent Killing Technique.
At the same time!
Transparent Release activated at full power!
Lei Dou's body seemed to melt into the air, gradually turning transparent until he disappeared completely.
Even his previously distinct chakra signature vanished without a trace.
At that moment, the battle-hardened Zabuza was utterly stunned!
Where did he go?!
Lei Dou had completely vanished from his sensory range. What was going on?
They were clearly inside the area covered by his own Hidden Mist Technique, so why could he, the caster, no longer find his target?
Where had that damned brat hidden?
Had he burrowed underground?
In all his years of countless killings, Zabuza had never encountered anything like this. Someone had actually pulled a vanishing act on his own turf, right under his nose.
Within the thick mist, the rapid clash of weapons abruptly stopped.
That deathly silence instead sent Kakashi's heart leaping into his throat.
Lei Dou... please don't let anything happen to you!
Just as Kakashi was worrying, the surrounding mist began to slowly disperse.
This development baffled Kakashi even more. Why would Zabuza Momochi willingly release his Hidden Mist Technique when he held the advantage?
Yet when the white mist cleared completely, Zabuza's battered figure stood exposed, while Lei Dou alone was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Lei Dou?"
Naruto's eyes widened, and he was the first to cry out.
Beside him, Sasuke hurriedly turned his head, searching everywhere. The enemy was still standing there, so why had their teammate disappeared instead?
"Could he... have been killed by that freak without even a scrap left?"
Kakashi quickly shook his head, rejecting the idea firmly. "Absolutely not. If something had happened to him, why would there be no body or blood on the ground?"
Then where exactly had Lei Dou gone?
"You sneaking little brat! Get out here!"
Hearing Zabuza's furious roar, Kakashi's eyes nearly popped out of his head. So this man didn't know where Lei Dou had gone either?
No wonder he had willingly dispersed the Hidden Mist Technique!
The Demon of the Hidden Mist, a master of assassination, had actually lost track of his target in the middle of battle?
This... this was just too absurd!
Watching Zabuza search frantically like a headless chicken, panic written all over his face, Kakashi felt a powerful sense of unreality. He could not fathom how Lei Dou had vanished into thin air.
"Zabuza Momochi, aren't you supposed to be a master of assassination?"
"Didn't you brag about how incredible your Silent Killing Technique was?"
"How come you can't even find a living, breathing person now?"
Suddenly, Lei Dou's mocking voice echoed through the air, stunning everyone present even further.
His voice seemed to ring out right beside their ears, yet wherever they looked, there was still no one in sight.
They could not even pinpoint where the voice was coming from.
The surrounding ground was wide open, with nothing to hide behind. Where exactly was Lei Dou concealed?
At least Zabuza had used the thick mist as cover earlier. Lei Dou, however, had no cover at all in broad daylight, yet he still concealed himself perfectly. What kind of miraculous ability was this?
Even Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja reputed to have copied over a thousand ninjutsu, wore a blank expression.
He gazed bewilderedly at the empty air around him.
"Since you're no good at it, let me teach you what the true art of silent killing looks like!"
The instant those words fell silent, it happened.
Zabuza's pupils contracted sharply, and an agonizing pain instantly shot through his entire body.
His right abdomen!
Rip!!
As though an invisible blade had sliced across him, his flesh split open instantly, spraying scarlet blood through the air.
The string of blood droplets traced a hauntingly beautiful, eerie arc in the sunlight.
The sight left everyone completely stunned.
Lei Dou!
Still had not appeared!
But Zabuza!
Had undeniably been wounded!
Naruto pointed at Zabuza with a trembling finger. "Wh-what... what... what is going on..."
Before he could finish, Lei Dou's ghostlike voice rang out again, accompanied by a second burst of blood.
"Still can't find me? Looks like the title of 'Demon' needs a new owner!"
Slash!
A hideous, bloody gash instantly tore open across his left shoulder.
The intense pain left Zabuza unable to hold the Kubikiribōchō any longer, and the heavy blade slipped straight from his hand.
Clang!!!!
The massive sword hit the ground with a thunderous crash. Zabuza staggered backward, clutching the wound on his shoulder as he scanned the empty space around him in sheer terror...
That uncanny brat... what kind of sorcery was he using... why couldn't I see him... I couldn't see him at all...
Drip!
Blood trickled down his arm and fell into the dirt.
Zabuza clutched his wound, feeling the pain of an invisible blade cutting through his flesh.
He looked around at his surroundings, empty in every direction.
There was not a single figure in sight!
Yet the wounds on his body kept increasing. That was an undeniable fact.
What kind of bizarre technique was that brat using?
Slash!
Another vicious strike landed, this time cutting into Zabuza's left leg and leaving it drenched in blood.
Zabuza snapped his gaze to the left, but in the next instant, a chill came from behind his right side, and the blade opened another long, bloody gash across his back.
Slash!
Slash!
Slash!
One cut followed another. In less than ten seconds, Zabuza was soaked in blood.
The scene left Kakashi dumbstruck and Sasuke shaken. Even Tazuna, an ordinary civilian, felt a chill shoot straight to the crown of his head.
Were battles between ninja always this terrifying?
The surrounding area was open ground with everything plainly visible, yet they simply could not see the attacker.
They could not even predict when he would strike, or from what treacherous angle!
Was that boy a real demon?
Suddenly, gritting through the agony, Zabuza leaped up and bounded frantically backward, putting an enormous distance between them.
At the same time, a faint sound of surprise from Lei Dou drifted through the air.
Did he pinpoint my position?
While Lei Dou was still puzzling over it, Zabuza stared warily around him. The panic and helplessness in his eyes revealed that he had not actually found his target.
That last move had merely been his combat instincts allowing him to narrowly escape disaster.
The combined concealment of Transparent Release and the Silent Killing Technique was far from easy to see through. Unless his opponent possessed extraordinary sensory abilities, he might as well have been blind.
With that thought, Lei Dou gripped Zangetsu, ready to deliver another fatal strike to his prey.
"You little bastard! Whatever dark arts you're using, I'll drag you out!"
Drag me out?
Let's see what you've got, then!
Lei Dou pushed off and accelerated toward Zabuza. Just then, Zabuza abruptly raised both hands, forming hand seals at blinding speed.
At that instant, Lei Dou instinctively stopped in his tracks.
Those hand seals... they look like... Water Release?
[Analyzing skill]
"Water Release! Great Waterfall Technique!"
A rushing river lay directly behind Zabuza. The instant he unleashed his Water Release Ninjutsu, the river water surged wildly, as though answering his call.
No wonder Zabuza risked his life to leap to that spot. Was he planning to use the natural water source to unleash a large-scale Water Release technique?
Using Water Release near a water source not only halved the effort but also increased its power exponentially.
This guy was pretty quick on his feet.
The surging waves swept around Zabuza's body, turning into a towering flood that rushed toward Lei Dou's position.
In that instant, Lei Dou understood Zabuza's intent.
Was he trying to force me to reveal myself with a Water Release attack that covered the entire area?
Lei Dou lowered Zangetsu's hilt with one hand, instantly changing his breathing.
Water Breathing!
Second Form: Water Wheel!!!
His body somersaulted through the air like a wheel, the blade spinning rapidly with him. A sudden burst of water formed an enormous circular ring, then spread outward in every direction.
Lei Dou's fierce strike cleaved the overwhelming waterfall barreling toward him clean in two.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the water swept through, the surrounding trees were torn out by their roots. The churning flood struck with terrifying force, forcing Kakashi to scoop up Tazuna and take Naruto and Sasuke onto the violently rolling water's surface to evade it.
He stared at the neatly divided torrent nearby.
"Did Lei Dou do that?"
Though he couldn't see anyone with the naked eye, there was no explanation for such an enormous torrent suddenly splitting apart other than Lei Dou's astonishing swordsmanship.
"Found you!"
A savage grin spread across Zabuza's blood-covered face. Although the Great Waterfall Technique packed a powerful punch, it might not be enough to kill that bizarre brat.
What mattered was that, as long as there was water, he could find him!
Yet as the remaining force of the Great Waterfall Technique dissipated and the flood gradually receded,
Lei Dou remained invisible under Transparent Release.
How could a mere Water Release technique do anything to me now?
Lei Dou gave a contemptuous smile and stepped forward, but the instant his foot came down, he suddenly stopped.
He lowered his head and looked at the water covering the ground before him.
"So that's it!"
"You're trying to pinpoint where I step this way!"
Lei Dou smiled helplessly. Zabuza truly was an Elite Jōnin with extensive combat experience. He had found a way to counter him so quickly.
And it was an overt tactic that was both remarkably practical and impossible to counter.
Lei Dou's Transparent Release could perfectly conceal his body and presence, and paired with the Silent Killing Technique, it was virtually unbeatable.