After dealing with the two rebellious Mist Shinobi, Team 7 continued their cautious march toward the Land of Waves. Andrew calmly pulled out a sealing scroll and stored away the corpses of the fallen enemies.
Most ninjas would avoid touching corpses unless they had a very specific reason. But Andrew was different. He wasn't the kind to shy away from such things—if anything, he saw them as opportunities. He mused that Terumi Mei, the powerful kunoichi from Kirigakure, might appreciate such "gifts." Only Andrew would ever think of using corpses as a way to flirt. If the two slain rebels could see how their bodies were being used, they would probably call him the most arrogant man alive.
For now, Andrew didn't hurry to rejoin Kakashi and the others. He lingered behind, partly because he wanted to keep an eye on Sasuke's growth and partly because he had been observing Naruto's deepening bond with the Nine-Tails.
The relationship between Naruto and the great fox had shifted. Once hostile, their bond had begun to soften. Naruto was no longer in danger of being swallowed by the Nine-Tails' hatred, yet Naruto's stubbornness still puzzled Andrew. Why was the boy so unwilling to let go of his constant need for acknowledgment?
With a shrug, Andrew summoned his absurd creation—his "supercar"—a machine that roared like thunder on the dirt road. Stepping on the accelerator, he sped toward the Land of Waves, the sound echoing across the trees.
Kakashi noticed Andrew's absence, but he didn't comment. Andrew had never shown respect even to the Third Hokage, so there was no reason to expect him to follow rules. Kakashi could only sigh inwardly and hope that, for Kushina's sake, Andrew would continue to watch over Naruto.
His thoughts drifted to Obito. The revelation that Obito was behind the Nine-Tails attack still haunted Kakashi. Kushina had once treated Obito with kindness, yet that kindness had been repaid with cruelty. How could Obito slaughter his own sensei and ignore Kushina's suffering? The bitterness lingered in Kakashi's chest.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Tazuna walked side by side. Perhaps because of the earlier battles, the bridge builder had relaxed, and Naruto seized the moment to ask question after question. Though it looked like casual chatter, Naruto was carefully verifying Tazuna's earlier claims and probing for hidden details.
Suddenly, Kakashi's sharp instincts kicked in. A faint but deadly killing intent brushed against his senses. He stopped the team instantly.
"Stop! Be alert!"
Though faint, the murderous intent was pure. Only a skilled Jōnin could radiate such focused killing intent. The fact that the enemy didn't bother hiding it meant one thing: they had supreme confidence in their strength.
Team 7 reacted swiftly. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura formed a protective triangle around Tazuna. To her credit, Sakura didn't freeze this time. Though fear flickered in her eyes, she moved decisively, proving she was learning.
"Over there!" Naruto shouted.
With the Nine-Tails lending him power, Naruto had awakened the sensory ability known as Kagura's Heart Eye. His perception outstripped even Sasuke's Sharingan at this stage.
At Naruto's warning, a massive blade suddenly whirled out from the bushes, spinning through the air with murderous speed.
The attack was no test. It was meant to kill.
Kakashi's body tensed, ready to intercept the blade with his own strength. But before he could move—
Sasuke was faster.
He whipped out his dagger and met the enormous decapitating sword with precise timing. Sparks flew as steel clashed. With a twist of his wrist, Sasuke deflected the monstrous weapon and sent it crashing into the ground beside him.
Calmly, he recalled one of the Uchiha clan's old battle maxims:
"Any tool thrown away by the enemy is no longer theirs. If conditions allow, claim it for yourself."
In Andrew's words, "If someone tosses something, it means they don't want it. If you like it, take it back."
Sasuke's eyes lit up. The blade was far too big for his current frame, but one day he would wield it. For now, he wasn't about to let such a treasure go to waste. He sealed the massive sword into a scroll, storing it away with quiet determination.
Kakashi and Naruto watched the whole process in silence, neither daring to interrupt.
From the mist-shrouded forest, a tall figure emerged. Zabuza Momochi, the infamous Demon of the Hidden Mist, stepped forward with visible frustration. The corners of his mouth twitched. He had intended to make a terrifying entrance with his weapon—but now his weapon had been stolen by a child!
"You are… Zabuza Momochi of the Hidden Mist," Kakashi said gravely. "A former Elite Jōnin of Kirigakure. Even you would stoop to such missions?"
Zabuza smirked, though irritation burned in his eyes. "And you must be Konoha's Copy Ninja, Kakashi. I've heard your Sharingan is gone. That must have weakened you greatly." His gaze shifted unwillingly toward Sasuke, who still held the scroll containing his sword. "Hand over the old man, and I won't trouble you further."
The tension thickened. Zabuza had heard of Kakashi's squad before. Though only Genin, they were not to be underestimated. Two of them had killed Chūnin opponents with ease—an achievement nearly impossible for newcomers. And worse, one of them was Uchiha.
No one in the ninja world dared to casually provoke the Uchiha clan. Their strength, madness, and influence stretched across the shinobi world.
Kakashi's eye hardened. "You should know that's impossible."
The air crackled as the killing intent of both men clashed invisibly. Kakashi without his Sharingan, and Zabuza without his sword—on the surface, both had lost an edge. But neither underestimated the other.
Suddenly, a dense mist began to rise. Zabuza melted into the fog, his figure vanishing completely. As a Mist Shinobi, he knew how to counter Sharingan users. Even if Kakashi's Sharingan was gone, Sasuke's eyes were reason enough for caution. The mist wasn't just a trick against Uchiha—it blinded everyone.
"Ninpō: Hidden Mist Technique!" Zabuza's voice echoed eerily through the fog.
The battlefield vanished under a curtain of white. Visibility dropped to nothing. Even the sound of breathing seemed muffled.
But Sasuke was ready. His eyes narrowed as he formed hand seals. If Zabuza wanted to blind them, then he would blind him as well.
"Ninpō: Darkness Technique!"
A wave of pitch-black chakra spread outward. Sasuke had tapped into the forbidden jutsu created by the Second Hokage himself. The technique erased vision completely, not just for the enemy but for everyone. Eyes became useless—whether Sharingan or Byakugan, all would fail.
His lips curled into a confident smirk. "If you want to block vision, then let's not use eyes at all. If I can't see, then you can't see either!"
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