Encountering Zabuza

"That won't do, so many people are waiting here."

"I, Kakashi, swear by the name of a Konoha Jonin that no one will dare lay a hand on your treasure!"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly, carrying an unquestionable authority.

The captain shuddered and could only quietly step aside.

Sakura took a deep breath and slowly laid the suitcase down.

At that moment, the atmosphere in the room grew extra tense, and faintly, the sound of many heartbeats could be heard.

"Click."

One latch opened.

The captain slowly lowered his head, the wrinkles on his face nearly all scrunched together.

He didn't dare look at the suitcase again.

"Click."

Another latch opened.

Then, with a "bang," the box suddenly sprang open.

The contents inside instantly flew out.

Sakura couldn't dodge in time and was directly blinded.

The onlookers' expressions had nearly frozen.

When Sakura took down the thing blocking her eyes and looked at it, her face immediately flushed red.

"This... this... I never thought the captain had such a hobby. Let's all disperse!"

Kakashi looked at the women's underwear scattered across the floor and let out an awkward laugh.

Glancing at the nearby crew members, they were already covering their mouths tightly, afraid to let even a hint of laughter slip.

Sakura held the plump, soft underwear in her hand, glanced down at her own flat chest, and her face turned even redder.

"You old pervert!" She glared fiercely at the captain, quickly pushed through the crowd, and ran out.

The onlookers, watching Sakura leave, also lost interest one after another.

After casting a sympathetic look at the captain, they all dispersed.

Back in the cabin, the topic of Konoha's Invincible Scratch-off was stirred up.

Many were already eager to try their luck at the scratch-off shop.

The ship docked at the pier, and the burly dark-skinned man was taken away by the patrol officers.

The passengers on board also bid farewell to Kakashi and the others one by one.

Afterward, they switched to a small boat.

It was Raditz, who had issued the mission, coming to pick them up.

Once on the boat, Raditz sighed all the way.

Kakashi felt something was off and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Raditz thought it over, then sighed again and told Kakashi the truth.

"Your trip this time is mainly to protect my personal safety."

"There's a man named Gato who wants to kill me."

Kakashi was taken aback and frowned. "Gato? That incredibly wealthy tycoon Gato?"

"That's right!" Raditz sighed once more.

"He hired someone to kill me. Without your protection, I might not even make it home alive!"

Naruto leaned against the Flying Broom and laughed, "No way, with us protecting you, no one can kill you!"

Raditz turned his head to look at him, his expression growing much more serious.

"What if that person is Momochi Zabuza!"

"Momochi Zabuza?" Kakashi was shocked.

Seeing his reaction, Naruto and the others quickly pressed, "Kakashi-sensei, who is Momochi Zabuza?"

Kakashi took a deep breath, his face turning grave.

"Momochi Zabuza, a rogue Mist Ninja, skilled in the Silent Killing Technique, a very powerful ninja."

With that, he turned and glanced at Raditz.

"We accepted a C-rank mission, but judging by the current situation, it seems to have exceeded the scope of a C-rank mission!"

Raditz hung his head, his expression bitter.

"I really don't have that much money to pay a higher mission fee."

As he spoke, he let out a long sigh, a trace of sorrow surfacing on his face.

"If you think the mission is wrong, just go back once we reach the shore!"

Kakashi didn't say a word, following with a long sigh of his own.

Only Naruto, carefree as ever, laughed.

"Kakashi-sensei, who cares if it's Momochi Zabuza or Kikuchi Zabuza? There's four of us—that's plenty to take him on!"

Seeing him like that, Kakashi's mood seemed to lift a little.

They pressed on through the mist for a while, finally reaching the shore.

Raditz asked nervously.

"Are you planning to go back? If so, I'll have the boatman take you."

Kakashi waved his hand. "Let's follow you in and take a look first."

If it had been any other time, he might have chosen to turn back.

But as Naruto said, there were four of them now.

And with the powerful tools in hand, killing Momochi Zabuza shouldn't be too troublesome.

They walked a short way into the woods.

Suddenly, a massive blade flew through the air, slamming directly into a nearby tree.

Then, a man in gray clothes leaped out from the forest, crouching atop the giant sword.

A white mask was wrapped around his face, a match for Kakashi's current look.

"Hand over that old man!" Zabuza said, arms crossed, brooking no argument.

Kakashi's nerves instantly went taut. He spread his arms wide, shielding Naruto and the others behind him.

But that dead-last Naruto sometimes did things that normal people couldn't fathom.

He rode his broom, flying slowly up into the sky, right under Kakashi's nose, until he was in front of Zabuza.

Mimicking Zabuza's pose, he crossed his arms and said, "So you're Zabuza. You..."

He trailed off awkwardly, all the fierce words he'd thought up vanishing from his mind in that instant.

Thinking hard, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he grinned. "That arm guard of yours looks pretty cool—where'd you buy it?"

Behind him, Kakashi and the others were panicking.

Idiot, that's a Jonin!

Chatting casually in front of a Jonin—are you asking to die?

Momochi Zabuza felt as if he'd been insulted. His already pitch-dark face lost any trace of luster.

He directly kicked up the giant sword beneath him and swung it down at Naruto.

Naruto rode his broom and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Zabuza landed on the ground, already seething with rage. He raised his arm, and in an instant, thick fog rose within the forest.

Kakashi spoke to those behind him.

"Be careful. This is his signature technique—the Silent Killing Technique!"

"Got it!" Sasuke and Sakura both pulled out kunai, flanking Raditz on either side.

The thick fog quickly blocked their vision.

Even at close range, they could no longer see anyone.

Sakura and Sasuke felt a flicker of panic.

As for Naruto, he was already nowhere to be found.

Kakashi heightened his senses to the max, staring warily around him.

At this point, unwrapping his bandages to reveal the Sharingan was no longer an option.

So he thought of that bottle of perfume he'd won at the scratch-off ticket shop.

"Time to show off some real skill!" He unhurriedly pulled out the perfume and sprayed a circle around himself.

The next moment, Zabuza suddenly appeared, raising his giant sword to strike.

But as he caught a whiff of an irresistibly alluring scent lingering in the air, he couldn't help sniffing a few more times.

Where Kakashi had been standing, a beautiful woman with curves in all the right places had instantly materialized.