"Damn little devil, are you Hatake Kakashi?"
Momochi Zabuza couldn't help but question it. After all, there was no way he could believe that this kid was just a Genin.
If he really were Kakashi, then things would make sense.
But... wasn't Kakashi supposed to be taller?
Of course, appearances could be misleading. The previous Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, looked like a child, after all.
That's why Zabuza made such a wild guess.
"Uh… sorry… I'm Kakashi," Kakashi finally stepped forward, seeing that Zabuza had clearly misunderstood.
Zabuza stared at the man in front of him. His eyes narrowed as if he were looking at someone who suffered from severe kidney deficiency.
He didn't hide the suspicion on his face.
"You think you can fool me? That weak-looking guy is Kakashi? No way!"
He scoffed and then pointed at Naruto.
"Hmph, you must be Kakashi, little brat!"
"…"
Uzumaki Naruto was stunned by the accusation. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond. After a pause, he replied calmly:
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I will be the man who rebuilds the Land of Whirlpools!"
"Uzumaki Naruto?" Zabuza frowned slightly. The name didn't ring a bell.
But it didn't matter.
"I'll kill all of you right here!"
He quickly made a hand sign.
"Ninjutsu—Hidden Mist Technique!"
As Zabuza completed the jutsu, thick fog rolled in over the surface of the water, so dense that you couldn't see your own hand in front of your face.
"I can't see anything!" Sakura said nervously, looking around.
Uchiha Sasuke tensed, his eyes scanning through the fog, trying to anticipate an attack.
"Everyone stay alert," Kakashi ordered. "Naruto, protect Tazuna!"
Kakashi lifted his forehead protector, revealing a three-tomoe Sharingan in his left eye. Though Naruto was powerful now, their opponent was the infamous Demon Zabuza. And with the unfavorable terrain, Kakashi had to take the lead and protect his team.
"Why does he have our clan's blood-red eyes?" Sasuke muttered, surprised at Kakashi's Sharingan.
Even among the Uchiha, fully matured Sharingan like this were rare.
The Sharingan may be a signature trait of the Uchiha clan, but awakening and mastering it was no simple feat.
"Oh? So you really are the Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi," Zabuza's voice came from within the fog. He hadn't recognized Kakashi's face, but he couldn't miss the Sharingan.
Only those with the Sharingan could truly be called Copy Ninjas. That brat Naruto might be strong, but his eyes were a clear giveaway—no Sharingan there.
"I told you, I'm Kakashi!" Kakashi repeated.
"Hmph, doesn't matter. Whoever is Kakashi won't matter once you're all dead!"
Zabuza's voice echoed strangely through the fog, sending a chill down even Kakashi's spine.
"You all better be careful," Kakashi warned, his tone unusually grave. "Back in the day, Zabuza was feared for his Silent Killing technique during his time in the Hidden Mist's Anbu. If you're not careful, you'll be dead before you even realize what happened!"
He paused, realizing something.
"…Well, that was when he still had his beheading sword. Naruto just snapped that thing in half, so—correction—if you're not careful, you'll die at his hands."
Naruto, sensing the changes in chakra through the Nine Tails inside him, wasn't too worried about Zabuza's sneak attacks.
What really worried him was how much of a liability Dazna was.
Oh, and Sasuke and Sakura weren't exactly helpful either.
This was his first mission. He couldn't let anyone die so easily—it'd be a serious blemish on his future reputation!
"Ichi, ni, san..."
With a cross-shaped hand sign, Naruto instantly created over fifty Shadow Clones that formed a tight defensive circle around Dazna, Sasuke, and Sakura.
There was no way Zabuza could get close without being noticed.
"This… this little brat!!" Zabuza muttered in disbelief.
This kid didn't just have insane speed and strength. His chakra reserves were on a whole other level!
Such vast chakra... Could he be?
Zabuza recalled Naruto's earlier words: he was a member of the Uzumaki Clan and aimed to rebuild the Land of Whirlpools.
"So, you're from the Uzumaki Clan…"
He sneered.
"But these Shadow Clones are useless. I can kill you with one swing… No—half a swing!"
"Eight critical points—the throat, spine, kidneys, heart…"
"I wonder, have you decided which part of your body I should hit first?"
Zabuza's cold voice, coupled with the murderous aura of someone who'd emerged from a sea of blood, sent chills down the spines of everyone present.
Even with the Shadow Clones around him, Sasuke felt a deep despair welling up under the immense pressure.
"Hey, you're not scared, are you, Sasuke?" Naruto's voice cut through the fog, sharp and mocking.
Sasuke's eyes widened.
"Damn it… That Naruto—he dares to call me a coward?!"
Coward.
That was the very word Sasuke once used to describe Naruto.
Back when they first left the village and encountered the Demon Brothers, Naruto had been paralyzed by fear.
Sasuke had to step in and save him.
He had sneered and said, "Coward, are you okay?"
But now, everything had changed.
In this world, it seemed that Sasuke was the coward.
He was lagging behind that Naruto.
Zabuza silently moved through the mist, approaching Dazna.
Although Dazna was heavily guarded by Naruto's Shadow Clones, compared to Kakashi or Naruto, he was clearly the weakest link.
Zabuza was a veteran. He knew better than to take unnecessary risks.
His mission was to assassinate Dazna—not to take on two elite-level opponents head-on.
Earlier, when he boasted about killing everyone, it was mostly for show.
In truth, taking on Kakashi alone was hard enough. Adding in a monster like Naruto drastically lowered his chances of success.
And besides, even if he killed them all, it wasn't like Gato would pay him any extra.
So why risk it?
Zabuza slashed his half-broken sword, dispersing over a dozen Shadow Clones in one wide arc.
Because the clones formed a circle, only about ten were in each section.
By eliminating a dozen, Zabuza managed to breach the defensive line.
Tazuna, Sasuke, and Sakura were now exposed.
"Hmph, go to hell!"
He raised his sword again to finish them off.
But just as the blade came down, Kakashi, reacting to the breach, appeared behind Zabuza with a kunai.
He stabbed forward—
Zabuza turned into water.
"A Water Clone?!" Kakashi narrowed his eyes.
Zabuza materialized behind him, swinging his sword mercilessly.
"Since you've chosen death, don't blame me!"
"I'll take Hatake Kakashi's head!"
As the blade slashed through, the body turned into water again.
Zabuza cursed.
"Another Water Clone?!"
Kakashi's true form emerged behind Zabuza, kunai pressed firmly against his neck.
"You've lost, Zabuza!"
"Hmph. You really are the Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi," Zabuza chuckled. But his smile was unsettling.
"Could it be…?"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. He could tell something was off.
Sure enough, the Zabuza in front of him melted into a puddle of water.
Another clone!
"I'm a ninja forged in the Blood Mist!" Zabuza roared. "Not some flower grown in a greenhouse!"
He charged at Kakashi, swinging to cut him clean in half.
But just as the blade was about to connect—
Bang!
A loud crash rang out.
Zabuza's body was sent flying, rolling over twenty meters before crashing to the ground.
His broken beheading sword spun through the air before landing in the water with a splash.
"What the hell was that?!"
Zabuza looked up in shock.
Naruto stood where Zabuza had been, nonchalantly blowing on his fist.
"So much fancy stuff… but is it really useful?" he said flatly.