Although Chōjūrō often lacked confidence, the moment he saw Zabuza appear, he finally understood what was happening.
And as the loyal aide who had always stood by Lady Mei Terumī, there was no way he could abandon her now—especially when she had chosen to stand her ground instead of retreat.
With a sharp movement, Chōjūrō drew the massive twin-blade Hiramekarei from his back, leaping high into the air. His body spun rapidly as he swung the weapon in a wide arc toward Zabuza.
"Chōjūrō…"
Zabuza recognized him immediately.
As a rogue shinobi who had attempted more than one coup d'état in Kirigakure, Zabuza was no stranger to Chōjūrō. But while both of them bore the title of Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, their difference in strength was undeniable.
Seeing Chōjūrō's fierce strike, Zabuza did not dodge. Instead, he calmly raised the massive Decapitating Blade in a single hand and swung down to meet him.
Clang!
Steel slammed against steel, the sound echoing sharply across the water.
"Zabuza-san," Chōjūrō muttered, his voice low and steady.
As the wielder of Hiramekarei, Chōjūrō had always regarded Zabuza as a senior. "Why would you ally yourself with the Konoha Root shinobi?"
He could not understand. Why would Zabuza team up with another village to turn against his homeland?
Without waiting for an answer, Chōjūrō channeled chakra directly into his sword.
"Hiramekarei—Release!"
His chakra burst forth in a blazing stream, transforming the weapon's size and shape. A beam of chakra erupted like a cannon, blasting straight toward Zabuza.
The massive twin-sword swelled even larger, glowing with destructive energy.
The more chakra infused into Hiramekarei, the larger and heavier it becomes… a trait reminiscent of Samehada, Chōjūrō thought.
But Zabuza had already seen through it. His expression hardened, and in a sudden shift of movement, he twisted his steps, narrowly avoiding the direct strike.
As one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen himself, Zabuza knew these blades intimately. Unlike Samehada, which could absorb an opponent's chakra and strengthen its wielder, Hiramekarei could only channel chakra supplied directly by its user.
On the surface, they seemed similar, but in reality, they were worlds apart.
Every swing of Hiramekarei cost Chōjūrō his own chakra reserves.
In other words—he was not suited for drawn-out battles.
"Hiramekarei's release is devastating against enemies who don't know its secrets," Zabuza sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "But against someone who does…"
His teeth glinted in the moonlight as he let out a low, menacing laugh.
"You'll never defeat me, the Demon of the Hidden Mist—Momochi Zabuza!"
With a feral roar, Zabuza lunged forward. His every motion calculated, he wove through Hiramekarei's extended range with ease, his massive blade cutting in flawless arcs. In just a few exchanges, he had completely overwhelmed Chōjūrō, pressing him back with relentless force.
"The Demon of the Hidden Mist, an S-rank rogue ninja…" Mei narrowed her eyes, carefully watching his movements. She could not deny it—Chōjūrō's strength was no match for Zabuza.
If Zabuza had unleashed his infamous Hidden Mist Jutsu, Chōjūrō might already have fallen.
Realizing this, Mei swiftly formed a hand sign, signaling the guards behind her to intervene.
But what happened next stunned her.
Before her subordinates could even step into the fight, a hail of glittering senbon needles rained from the darkness, followed by thick wooden stakes that slammed into them, knocking them aside effortlessly.
"Wood Release?!" Mei's heart jolted.
She, who possessed not one but two kekkei genkai, knew all too well the terrifying uniqueness of Mokuton.
The next moment, Yamato and Haku landed lightly on the water's surface, flanking the field. Within seconds, Mei's guards had been dispatched.
Elsewhere, Kirigakure's shinobi were still desperately fending off the onslaught of Root. Even if they had the will to rush to Mei's aid, they lacked the strength to break free.
"Do not… interfere in Zabuza-sama's fight."
Haku's voice was low but unwavering. He did not care that Mei was the Mizukage. To him, Zabuza was everything—his purpose, his anchor. Whatever choice Zabuza made, Haku would defend it with his life.
But Zabuza himself had no intention of dragging out his duel with Chōjūrō. He had not returned here for that.
No, he was here for Mei Terumī—for the unfinished business between them.
Having fully subdued Chōjūrō, Zabuza shifted his stance, feinting once before hooking the Decapitating Blade under Hiramekarei and flinging it high into the air.
Splash!
The weapon spun wildly before crashing into the water with a thunderous splash, sinking beneath the surface.
Zabuza's figure blurred as he leapt upward, bringing his foot down hard against Chōjūrō's chest.
Though he held back from a killing blow—after all, Chōjūrō was still his junior—the strike carried enough force to ensure he would not rise again soon.
Thud!
Blood sprayed from Chōjūrō's mouth as his body flew across the water like a broken kite. He skidded violently across the surface before sinking beneath in a wave of froth and foam.
"…Still not enough."
Mei whispered under her breath. Though she knew Chōjūrō had grown, she had not expected him to fall so swiftly.
"…So be it."
Drawing in a deep breath, she let go of all restraint.
Her heel pressed against the water's surface, ripples spreading outward as her chakra surged. Mei Terumī was no taijutsu specialist, but she had not risen to the title of Mizukage by beauty or politics.
She was the master of three chakra natures—water, fire, and earth—and the only kunoichi in history to wield two separate kekkei genkai.
"Lava Release—Melting Apparition Jutsu!"
A deadly mixture of fire and earth chakra burned in her throat before she exhaled, unleashing a torrent of highly corrosive acid. It spread in a wide arc, instantly engulfing Zabuza, Yamato, and Haku in its lethal reach.
The acid was so potent it could melt through even the strongest steel with ease.
"Fall back!" Yamato shouted. In a flash, he leapt in front of Zabuza, slamming both palms to the water's surface. Towering wooden walls shot up, forming a massive barricade to shield them.
But even Yamato underestimated her.
Within moments, the molten acid hissed and ate away at his Mokuton defenses, leaving nothing but steaming fragments.
"Water Style—Great Waterfall Jutsu!"
"Ice Style—Crystal Ice Mirrors!"
Zabuza and Haku reacted instantly.
Zabuza's hands blurred through forty seals in rapid succession. Drawing upon the water Mei herself had created, he unleashed a devastating torrent to counter the advancing lava.
At the same time, Haku's kekkei genkai took shape, forming a towering wall of glistening ice to block what remained.
"That Great Waterfall Jutsu…" Yamato's eyes widened as he witnessed the sheer scale of Zabuza's attack. His breath caught in his throat.
"Even for a Mizukage… it would be nearly impossible to walk away from this unscathed."