"Lord Zabuza, they're just three Genin from Konoha. You don't need to handle this personally."
"Leave it to me," Haku said, kneeling on one knee in front of Zabuza.
But Zabuza rejected the offer outright. His hand reached for the massive Kubikiribōchō—the Executioner's Blade—beside him.
"No."
He cut off Haku's offer with a single word.
"There's a brat among those Konoha Genin… Uchiha Sasuke."
Even the corpse of an Uchiha could fetch a high price on the black market.
Alive? Worth even more.
So even if they were just Genin, Zabuza was going to take care of it himself.
Meanwhile, Shigure and the team were approaching the Land of Waves.
"Another three hours on foot and we'll be there," Shigure said, eyes scanning a map in his hands.
Naruto and Sasuke both exhaled in relief.
The mission was almost over!
A C-rank mission that involved a ninja assassination attempt was already pushing the limits of the classification.
Still, it was within acceptable bounds… and with any luck, there would be no more enemy encounters.
Shigure folded the map slowly. Their destination was near—meaning he was close.
They just didn't know when the enemy would strike.
They kept moving.
Shigure's gaze flicked across the surroundings. Something about this place felt… familiar.
Wait—
"This looks just like that scene from Chapter 573!" he muttered.
Just as the thought formed—
Whoosh!
A sound of rushing wind tore through the air.
"Down!" Shigure shouted instinctively at Naruto and Sasuke.
They dropped immediately, reacting to the tone more than the words.
A black shadow shot toward them from behind.
Up in the trees, a hidden Kakashi frowned.
'That's…'
Boom!
Shigure caught the incoming blade with one hand.
Naruto and Sasuke whipped around in shock.
They'd barely heard the whistling noise before Shigure called out.
They thought he'd dodge, but instead…
He caught it.
No kunai. Not a shuriken.
A massive, heavy blade—Zabuza's Executioner's Blade.
He caught it barehanded.
Kakashi, still observing, twitched slightly at the corner of his mouth.
To catch something like that in mid-flight—you needed both incredible dynamic vision and monster-level strength.
And then…
Shigure spoke.
"Who's littering? Don't you know everyone has a duty to protect the environment?"
Kakashi almost fell off his branch.
Of all the things he could've said…
From the trees behind Shigure, a figure leapt down.
Landing with a dramatic thud on the still-vibrating blade embedded in the ground—
Momochi Zabuza.
The Demon of the Hidden Mist.
His face twisted into an expression of barely restrained fury.
He'd used a Body Flicker Technique right after hurling his blade, expecting to arrive with dramatic timing and reclaim his weapon from the tree trunk.
Instead…
Some punk was standing there holding his sword like a toy.
Zabuza's face darkened.
This brat.
Was he mocking him?
Naruto and Sasuke turned around as the tension rose.
Shigure calmly turned to face the newcomer.
Beside them, Tazuna swallowed nervously, eyes locked on the oversized sword in Shigure's grasp.
This kid's strength…!
"He should be out working construction with that power… or just build the whole damn bridge himself!" Tazuna ranted silently.
Shigure glanced at Zabuza.
"So, this yours?"
He pointed the sword slightly in Zabuza's direction.
Though his face was calm, his mind reeled. Zabuza's appearance wasn't exactly like the anime, but the general shape and aura—there was no mistaking it.
This was the real thing.
Zabuza's icy voice cut through the tension.
"What's your name, kid?"
That voice—cold, harsh, and filled with killing intent—washed over them like a freezing tide.
Sasuke and Naruto felt their limbs stiffen.
Sweat broke out across their foreheads.
But Shigure?
He didn't flinch.
If anything, he looked irritated.
"You're the one who threw a giant sword at me?"
Zabuza blinked.
Was this brat… stupid?
Couldn't he tell Zabuza was here to kill them?
"Yes," Zabuza said through gritted teeth. "So what?"
Swish!
In the blink of an eye, a black shadow flashed past.
A bead of cold sweat slid down Zabuza's forehead as he turned his head slowly to the right.
Crack—
The thick tree next to him was suddenly split in half.
Boom!!!
The massive trunk came crashing down, and his Executioner's Blade—Kubikiribōchō—was now embedded diagonally into the ground nearly five meters behind him.
"…You…"
Zabuza stared in disbelief.
This scrawny-looking kid had just—what? Caught his blade… and thrown it back with enough force to cleave a tree in two?
That kind of raw strength wasn't something a normal Genin could even dream of.
"Who the hell are you?"
"…Genin of the Hidden Leaf—Gekkō Shigure."
Zabuza frowned. He'd never heard the name before.
But the aura coming off this kid… it wasn't Genin-level.
Not at all.
"Interesting. A runt like you, with power like that…"
"Heh. Very well! I, Momochi Zabuza—the Demon of the Hidden Mist—will take your life today!"
Take his life?
What a loudmouth.
"Shigure!" Naruto called out, stepping up beside him. "Let's fight together! Don't take him on alone—this guy looks seriously dangerous!"
Dangerous?
No kidding.
This was Momochi Zabuza. The same man who nearly killed Kakashi in the original timeline.
But if Naruto and Sasuke stepped in now, they'd only get in the way.
Shigure shook his head firmly. "No. Stay back. This isn't someone you two can handle."
With that, he stepped forward, closing the distance between him and Zabuza.
Naruto tensed and was about to rush after him—but a firm hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him.
"This enemy…" a calm voice said from behind, "...is definitely not someone you two can fight right now."
Naruto turned his head and saw Kakashi standing behind them, his face unusually serious.
"Kakashi-sensei! Who is this guy?"
"The one he just introduced himself as—Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist," Kakashi said. "An elite jonin from Kirigakure… and one of the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "The Seven Ninja Swordsmen…?"
"That's right. A special assassination unit that serves directly under the Mizukage."
"And this one here—when he was still a Genin, he slaughtered every single candidate taking the Chūnin Exams with him."
Kakashi's lone visible eye sharpened. "His strength shouldn't be underestimated."
"Even for me… he's not an opponent I can defeat easily."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Then why aren't you doing anything?! You're just gonna let Shigure fight him alone?!"
"This mission is also a test," Kakashi said, voice quiet but firm. "I told you before—I won't step in unless your lives are truly in danger… or you're already dead."
Naruto clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth in frustration.
...
TN:
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