Team 7, the pair of Saiyans and old man Tazuna, had already arrived in the Land of Waves. To do so, they had to stealthily cross the sea on a small boat amidst the dense fog.
They had to do it in two trips, not because there were too many passengers for the boat, but because, for some strange reason, it couldn't support the weight of everyone at once.
The boat owner didn't understand how it was possible, because despite how small the boats were, they could support an enormous amount of weight. The reason lay in the unusually heavy clothing Goten and Trunks were carrying, but of course, they both preferred to keep it a secret. They simply split into two groups and made the trip in two trips.
During the land journey, Tazuna explained to everyone the reason why two mist shinobi had attempted to assassinate him. He also told them about the situation in the Land of Waves regarding the bridge's construction and the ruthless merchant Gato's refusal to allow such a project.
After Tazuna's confession, Kakashi was pleased that he had decided to allow the two Saiyans to travel with the group. The situation was even more complicated than the jounin had expected, so a little extra help wouldn't hurt the cause. This time, the danger that awaited them was even greater. The copy ninja's thoughts were interrupted when Naruto threw a kunai into some bushes, thinking it was some enemy lurking.
"It was just a mouse," the blond said with a smile on his face.
"A mouse? Why do you always have to act like that, Naruto? We can all see your stupidity! That's why you always embarrass me!" Sakura reproached him, quite annoyed.
"Naruto, those are kunai knives, very dangerous weapons," Kakashi chided, more serious than usual. "If you're not careful, you could hurt someone."
"DAMN DWARF! DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN! DID YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?" Shouted old Tazuna, extremely furious, because he thought they were really in danger and he was scared shitless.
Meanwhile, Goten peeked through the bushes where Naruto had thrown the kunai, only to see the cause of the young ninja's reaction. It was a small white rabbit, unfortunately dead.
Kakashi looked at him curiously. "It's strange... the rabbits in this area aren't supposed to have white fur this time of year, but brown. This one was raised in the winter, and if it's here, it's because someone used it in a replacement technique..."
The jounin imagined the worst when a comment from Trunks made him more alert.
"I don't want to worry you, but someone is following us very closely."
"That's true," Goten chimed in. "It's not ki, but someone with evil energy."
"Please! Do you expect us to take you seriously?" Sakura reproached, slowly approaching the young man while pointing an accusing finger at him. "You're just trying to get attention like Naruto. Can't you see this isn't a game?"
Only Kakashi knew the boys were right. He was struck by the way they had sensed the enemy's presence. Apparently, they both could sense both ki and chakra from a distance, which was an unusual skill. Once again, he was forced out of his thoughts when the hissing sound of a massive blade slicing through the air became apparent.
"Watch out!" the jounin managed to shout when he saw a huge sword emerge from the trees, spinning dangerously towards the group.
Everyone had time to throw themselves to the ground… except Sakura. The girl was on her back as the enormous spinning sword approached at high speed, but Goten, who was in front of her, quickly pushed her aside, putting her out of reach of the gigantic weapon. Then, the boy performed an agile somersault through the air, so that the sword passed underneath him.
¡CRAAASSSHHH!
It was the sound the sword made as it slammed hard into the trunk of one of the forest's trees. Immediately afterward, the ninja responsible for the attack appeared standing over it.
He had formidable speed. He was a tall man with pale, grayish skin. He wore bandages covering the lower half of his face, which further emphasized his stern, murderous gaze, as cold as ice itself.
"Well, it's Zabuza Momochi, the Demon Hidden in the Mist, I see." Kakashi hissed, slowly getting to his feet.
Tazuna and the members of Team 7 were shocked by the sudden attack, their eyes wide open. Sakura was the most shocked, having nearly died if Goten hadn't pulled her aside at the last second. Now, she realized that what the boy had said wasn't a lie. Someone really was hiding, stalking them.
"The mission is to keep Tazuna safe," Kakashi said firmly. "You must leave here with him immediately. Trunks, Goten, take the group with you!"
"But I want to fight! Finally, something interesting is happening," the young man complained pleadingly, having been waiting for an opportunity like this.
"You promised yourselves that you wouldn't interfere in anything! So do as I command! NOW!"
The jounin's change in voice and attitude surprised the boy. This was the real Kakashi Hatake, the copy ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village, a high-level shinobi, intelligent and accomplished on the battlefield. Just as the boys were about to obey, Zabuza's devilish voice appeared.
"Under no circumstances will I allow you to escape. I'm afraid I'll have to kill all of you." With that, a thick fog began to engulf the entire area, making visibility impossible.
Kakashi realized the delicate nature of the situation. If the boys tried to flee, they would be easy prey within the fog, scattered and unprotected. It would be best for them to stay together, watching each other's backs.
"Guys, change of plans! You must protect Tazuna! Battle formation, Manji, now!"
Immediately, the three genins positioned themselves around Tazuna, with their kunai ready to face any surprise attack.
"How did this fog suddenly appear? It's getting thicker and thicker." Naruto asked, trying to spot Kakashi Sensei, who was only five meters ahead of them.
"It's a concealment jutsu. Zabuza is an expert in silent assassination. With this jutsu, he can kill his victims with great speed and stealth, without them even noticing the life draining from their bodies. They must remain alert. Any mistake they make could prove fatal..."
Kakashi's serious words unnerved the three young ninjas, who hadn't expected to face a real battle so soon. They were still too inexperienced to face a life-or-death situation like this.
Only Trunks and Goten seemed calm, as if they had been through this experience hundreds of times. Despite the thick fog, they knew exactly where the enemy was. They could sense its energy perfectly.
" If I'm going to face him, I'll need to use this," Kakashi thought as he uncovered his left eye, revealing the Sharingan, the Kekkei Genkai of the Uchiha clan.
"Trunks, Goten, protect the group! I'll take care of this!"
"Since when does Kakashi have so much confidence in this pair of idiots?" Sasuke thought, maintaining his position within the Manji defensive formation. The dark look he gave the two boys expressed the enormous envy and anger he felt at being belittled by his own sensei in such a way.
Both Goten and Trunks stood in combat stance, facing the three genin, forming a sort of defensive front line of just two individuals. They wouldn't allow that demonic man with the perverse energy to lay a hand on any of them, including old Tazuna.
Suddenly, both Saiyans felt Zabuza and Kakashi's energy surge almost simultaneously, increasing disproportionately. That's when they realized that in that dimension, there also existed individuals with the ability to increase their power in a matter of seconds.
The sensation of powerful chakra flowing through the air caught the attention of the two young warriors, as it was an unknown energy, completely different from ki. While they had perceived it before, they were now able to analyze it much more closely, noting the different nature of this energy. It was weaker than ki, but somehow much more fluid and malleable, as if it were a liquid energy, while ki was coarser and more solid, to put it mildly.
Trunks' attention immediately shifted to Sasuke as he noticed the boy trembling uncontrollably. The Uchiha had fallen prey to panic, feeling suffocated by the mysterious disembodied sensation generated by the two jounin's energy pressing against his body, causing him to nearly faint. The boy felt as if the air had risen in temperature, making it extremely difficult for him to breathe. He couldn't stand it anymore; it seemed as if he was losing his sanity with every passing second. With his eyes wide open, his hands trembling, he began to slowly but determinedly bring his kunai closer to his throat.
And suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.
When Sasuke looked down, he noticed Trunks's powerful grip on his wrist. The boy held him so firmly that no matter how hard he tried to break free, he couldn't do so, as if he were being held by a stone statue.
"Don't even try," the boy in the green dogi said with a confident, crooked smile, the same smile he had inherited from Vegeta. "You don't seem as rude and arrogant now as you did when you spoke to my friend, do you? You're a little old for this behavior. Is this your first real fight?"
His words hit the young Uchiha like a bucket of cold water. He was close to making an irreversible mistake. For their part, Naruto and Sakura watched the scene in shock. They were so scared and nervous that neither of them saw what Sasuke was about to do. He had been thinking of committing suicide.
Kakashi noticed the same thing, despite being positioned a few meters ahead. But he didn't have time to say anything before Trunks intervened. The jounin was surprised by the composure the pair of newly arrived boys were displaying at this moment. Trunks' words made him understand that both he and Goten had already faced life-or-death situations at a younger age. At least that gave him a little more peace of mind.
"Calm down!" he shouted to his students. "I will protect you with my life, all of you. I will not allow my comrades to die!"
"Well, I wouldn't be so sure..." Zabuza's terrifying voice sounded right in the middle of Team 7's defensive formation.
His speed and stealth were such that none of the three genin noticed the presence of the mist demon behind them until he spoke. For a few moments, the blood ran cold inside them. Kakashi was stunned; he had to intervene quickly before any of them ended up hurt... or worse...
Only Goten and Trunks felt the assassin ninja's movement through the mist at any given moment, so they weren't alarmed. When Zabuza raised his immense sword above his head, ready to attack, he stopped dead in his tracks.
¡CRUUUSSSHHH!
The sound, to say the least, was grotesque. It was Goten's arm piercing his opponent's abdomen, as he lay motionless with pain. Two trickles of blood began to flow from the corner of his mouth. In just a second, the little Saiyan had finished off Zabuza's life.
Instead of joy, the genin were frightened, just like Tazuna, by Goten's terrible power. He was so fast that they didn't even notice when he flew there.
Only Trunks' voice was responsible for bringing them out of their trance.
"Are you an idiot, Goten? You killed him, you had to hit him gently! Now there's nothing left for me..."
"I didn't hit him that hard, I swear! Just enough to get him away from the others." As soon as the boy pulled his arm away from the deserting ninja's body, he noticed with astonishment that it was filled with water instead of blood.
He had hit a water clone. This clone wasn't a simple copy, as it had its own energy. Therefore, it couldn't tell the difference. Immediately, Zabuza's clone turned into a large puddle of water that spilled onto the ground.
"What was that supposed to be? Some kind of magic?" Trunks asked, almost startled by what had happened.
"You're mistaken, kid." A rough, familiar voice sounded. When everyone turned around, they noticed Zabuza standing behind Kakashi, just inches away from delivering a horizontal blow with his immense sword, which he wielded with the same ease as a wooden katana.
The attack was so precise that it cut the jounin in two perfect halves, spraying blood everywhere. The look of horror on everyone's faces was indescribable. It was that very expression that gave the Mist-nin assassin such pleasure. But Zabuza's pleasure turned to surprise when he realized he had been tricked. It wasn't the real Kakashi, but a water clone.
"Were you looking for me?" the copy ninja asked from behind him, holding him firmly by the neck and pressing the cold blade of a kunai right where his jugular was.
"Could someone tell me what's going on?" Trunks demanded immediately.
"They're ninja techniques," Kakashi explained. "Those were water clones, used to deceive the enemy. With my Sharingan, I was able to see through the mist and copy Zabuza's technique in an instant. Now don't move! It's all over!"
"That was great, Mr. Kakashi, you're awesome!" Goten exclaimed excitedly, clenching his fists tightly. He was finally able to see two ninjas in action, and he thought it was incredible. Trunks was also very pleased with the fight that was taking place.
However, Zabuza didn't agree. To him, the fight was just beginning. "Finished?" the Demon Hidden in the Mist growled with laughter. "You really haven't understood anything. I could never be defeated by a vulgar imitation of my own technique. I admit you're full of surprises, Kakashi. You almost caught me. But I can't be fooled that easily."
With that, the hostage Zabuza dissolved again into another pool of water, while the real one appeared at blinding speed behind Kakashi, ready to kill him with his sword, this time for real.
The Konoha jounin dodged the horizontal blow with a swift leap. His reflexes were formidable, but hand-to-hand combat was one of the deserted ninja's specialties. With a quick spin, Zabuza buried his sword in the ground, gripping it firmly by the handle with both hands, all in order to gain momentum and deliver a powerful side kick to Kakashi's back, sending him flying through the air as if nothing had happened and landing with a crash into the lake a few meters away. Without wasting any time, Zabuza ran after him and jumped into the lake, submerging himself completely.
When Kakashi surfaced, he noticed something strange was happening. The water he was in felt strange, much denser than usual, and he realized he was the one who had fallen into a trap. He barely turned around when he found Zabuza behind him, standing in the water and finishing the final hand positions of a jutsu.
"Water Prison Jutsu!"
And just like that, Kakashi was trapped inside a large chakra-enhanced sphere of water held in Zabuza's hand. It was all over; the copy-nin was trapped, and he knew there was no way he could escape, as he couldn't even move within his prison.
"This water barrier is as strong as steel. Now I'll take care of killing your little friends. Water Clone Technique!" With his free hand, he performed the necessary hand seal to form a clone identical to himself, which emerged from the surface of the lake.
Zabuza's clone began to walk across the water until he reached solid ground and slowly headed toward the group of frightened genin. However, the boys summoned all the courage they had and gripped their kunai firmly. Now they were alone; their sensei could do nothing to save them, but perhaps together, they would be able to overcome the threat.
After taking a few steps, the clone stopped a little way off, watching the boys with an amused expression on his face. He began to form a devilish grin, which, although not visible, was evident from the bandages on his face that stretched out in front of his sadistic grimace.
"Do you think that because you wear those headbands, you're real ninjas? A real ninja is one who's been between life and death so many times that he doesn't care at all anymore. A real ninja is one whose profile is so deadly that it appears in the bingo book records. But for you to call yourselves ninjas is a real disgrace. When I was your age, I'd already killed dozens of men!"
His words had the desired effect on the boys: pure terror. The small shred of confidence they still had almost completely vanished when the ruthless killer finished his short but terrifying speech. Perhaps the most frightened was Sakura, whose legs could barely stand from shaking.
"Are you forgetting about us, moron?" Trunks said with his arms crossed, getting the clone's attention. Zabuza had almost completely forgotten about them because when he saw that they weren't wearing headbands, he thought they were just a couple of ordinary kids, just trash he could easily kill in the end. "There are still the two of us left, so prepare to take a beating like you've never gotten before."
Then, the two Saiyans stood facing each other, staring at each other with an intense and challenging gaze.
"Ready, Goten?"
"Ready!"
What happened next left everyone present speechless.
"Rock, paper, scissors! Rock, paper, scissors! Rock, paper, scissors!" The pair of idiots began to play with each other.
"What do you think you're doing? Get out of here this instant!" Kakashi shouted, agitated. "The original Zabuza can't move; otherwise, the water prison will vanish. If you manage to get far enough away, the clone won't be able to follow you so far away from its original user."
Meanwhile, Zabuza was trembling with anger, a large vein beginning to bulge on his forehead. He couldn't stand that pair of miserable dwarves, who weren't even common genin, mocking him like that, the great Zabuza, the Demon Hidden in the Mist.
"Damn fools! I'll kill you first!" the clone shouted, running with great speed, raising his enormous sword and delivering a vertical blow with it, so fast that it was barely noticeable to anyone.
BAAAMMMMM!
The attack was so violent that it sent out a small shock wave from the powerful impact… an impact that was stopped dead in its tracks by Trunks. The boy held the enormous sword blade with only his hand, while still standing with his back to his attacker. By sensing his chakra, he knew Zabuza's location at all times, as well as his movement toward him.
"You have to wait until we're done. But if you want to fight so much, you're in luck. I think you're right now with me." The Saiyan smiled with satisfaction, seeing how he was making the paper sign with his free hand, while Goten had made a stone sign with his fist.
"It's not fair. Next time we'll play something else. You always win at this..."
No one seemed to hear Goten's complaint, as they were absorbed in what had happened. Even Zabuza was petrified, his eyes wide open, both the real one and the clone.
When he tried to withdraw the sword, he found the little boy gripping it with immense strength, so much so that he couldn't wrestle it away with both hands simultaneously. Without warning, Trunks released his grip, causing the ninja to stumble backward. He was humiliated by this boy, no older than 13!
"Yes, yes, we'll discuss it another time, Goten. Now go and take care of the others. I'll quickly take care of this clone. This copy must have a small percentage of the real one's energy, so I'm not very interested in fighting him," the young Saiyan said while doing some small stretches.
As he stood on his head and began doing push-ups on his index finger, Zabuza once again noticed the boy's exceptional physical condition. Kakashi noticed it as well, but what they both ignored was the ton of clothing he was wearing. The physical training inside the Time Room for a year had increased the two Saiyans' raw strength beyond any other stage of their young lives.
Of course, Zabuza didn't just stand by and do nothing. Once again, he lunged at the boy, only much faster than before, delivering a brutal blow with his sword. Noticing this, Trunks flipped and stepped out of range of the attack, which shattered the ground the young warrior had previously stood on.
"I can tell you're really impatient. Okay, I think that's enough warm-up. Let's fight!" With that, Trunks got into position.
Judging by his clothing and demeanor, Zabuza guessed that unless something went wrong, the boy was simply a taijutsu user, albeit a very experienced one. The impeccable tiger stance he had adopted indicated a deep knowledge of martial arts, which, combined with his great physical power, could be devastating. He had to be careful of those blows.
He didn't have time to react when the boy lunged at him, running at a speed that was at least inhuman. He barely had time to raise his sword to cover himself with it when the Saiyan's open palm met the blade squarely.
¡CRAAAAACCCKKK!
Pieces of steel flew everywhere as Trunks' deadly attack shattered his mighty sword with a single, ferocious blow, the impact producing a shockwave so strong that even the real Zabuza felt it hitting him from a distance. It was then that he understood everything. If that damned kid touched him precisely, it could end his life.
The shock was such that the clone didn't have time to respond to the second attack. With his other hand, open like a claw, Trunks pierced his opponent's chest, sinking his arm up to the elbow. The sound of rupturing flesh and bones was quite unpleasant, until the clone exploded like a small water bomb, completely splashing the small Saiyan.
Everyone was shocked, except Goten, who had both hands clasped behind his head.
"Hey Trunks, don't hit the real one like that, or you might seriously damage him..."
"I know! You know, I just wanted to finish off the clone as soon as possible, that's all." He replied angrily to his friend.
Trunks was a little exasperated that Goten would occasionally remind him of certain obvious things. Neither of them was a cold-blooded killer, by any stretch of the imagination; restraint in fights was something they'd learned well, though not exactly from Vegeta, who didn't care much about it. Without a doubt, Goku's compassion was an attribute they both possessed.
Believe it or not, Kakashi was the most shocked one. From his water prison, he analyzed Trunks's every move with his Sharingan, only to come to one definitive conclusion: the boy was a monster. He didn't use any illusionary techniques, ninjutsu, or anything like that. He was simply a small monster from another dimension with an incredibly strong and fast body, unlike any other he could remember.
A shudder ran through his body as he imagined what Gai would do if he ever got his hands on that kid.
Being a clone's sword, it was much less durable than the real thing, but even so, Zabuza understood that the boy could break the original if he wanted to. He couldn't afford to be complacent. He would have to go all out against his new and unexpected enemy, if not for one last detail: doing so would mean moving and freeing Kakashi from his prison. Zabuza could never take on both of them at the same time.
While he was thinking of a solution, he saw the small warrior pointing his open palm at him. His eyes widened in total surprise, bloodshot, before he had time to react. A small sphere of golden energy formed in Trunks's hand, shooting out at incredible speed toward the Mist Ninja.
Pulling his hand out of the water prison as quickly as he could, Zabuza leaped to the side, narrowly missing the energy sphere. Trunks' blast sailed across the lake, striking a small clump of trees on the opposite shore.
¡KABOOOOMMM!
Pieces of wood from the shattered trunks flew everywhere, while a cloud of dust and debris hung over the area. Despite the thick fog, the light from the explosion made it clear to everyone what had happened. Where a group of trees used to be, all that remained was a bare, charred crater twenty meters in diameter. Whatever it was, this technique had a significant destructive power.
"Well done, Trunks, you got him out of the way," Goten said, his hands still clasped behind his neck.
Sakura had completely forgotten about him, absorbed like the others in what was happening with Trunks' fight. "How can Goten be so calm, as if this were the most normal thing? Could he fight like that, too?"
Zabuza barely understood what had happened. Had he received the attack, he would have been seriously injured. His loss of concentration prevented him from noticing Trunks's incredibly fast movement right behind him.
"I'm here!"
As the Mist jounin turned around, he received a blinding uppercut to his stomach, so strong that he was sent flying through the air, many meters above the lake, like a rag doll. The intense pain made it impossible for him to think clearly, so he was unable to do anything against his opponent's new attack. He hadn't even finished his rapid ascent when, without any explanation, Trunks was already upon him and struck him on the shoulder with a powerful axe kick. This caused the defenseless ninja to begin to fall rapidly, crashing hard onto the surface of the lake.
Submerged in the depths of the water, Zabuza writhed in agony. With one hand, he held his aching abdomen, on which a large bruise appeared almost immediately, while he felt his shoulder almost burst with pain, at the very least dislocated. He had to respond quickly, so he performed the large number of hand seals required for the Water Dragon Technique.
After his attack, Trunks landed from his huge jump right at the edge of the lake, waiting for Zabuza to appear, knowing very well that he had not defeated him yet.
The genin were stunned. Sasuke couldn't believe the incredible physical potential of that boy, so fast that he couldn't even see what he did with his own eyes. Naruto felt the same, his fists clenched in helplessness.
This fight was completely out of his league, and it frustrated him immensely. Meanwhile, Kakashi was already on solid ground, watching Trunks intently with his Sharingan.
Suddenly, the water in front of them began to swirl violently, forming an immense column of rising water that began to take the shape of a dragon, an enormous water dragon!
The energy released by that attack was overwhelming, something Trunks noticed even before the aquatic beast fully emerged from the lake. He found it incredible how a being with Zabuza's fighting prowess had been able to create something so powerful. Could this be one of the peculiarities of the new form of energy they used in that dimension?
Trunks wasn't afraid for himself or Goten, but he was for the rest of the group. He knew that an attack could easily kill an ordinary person, even a very strong one.
"Get out of here, it's very dangerous!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
Kakashi had already anticipated everything and was carrying the elderly Tazuna on his shoulder, while the rest of the genin and Goten quickly jumped onto the branches of nearby trees. This way, the entire group hoped to stay out of Zabuza's attack.
Trunks was the only one who remained standing, motionless, placing both arms crossed in front of him to protect himself from the powerful impact that was coming. The enormous water dragon wound through the air, very similar to Shenron, until it decided to rush at high speed directly towards the Saiyan.
The figure of the enormous monster erupted in an immense explosion of water, like a powerful tsunami crashing against the young warrior. Trunks overconfidently assumed a firm enough stance and ended up being swept across the entire forest by the massive attack, while dozens of trees were snapped and uprooted by the violent surge of the water.
When the event was completely over, everyone climbed down from the trees, horrified by the disaster Zabuza's jutsu had wrought. The attack simply created a new path through the dense forest, sweeping away everything in its path, be it rocks or trees. It was impossible to see with the naked eye where the path ended. The water dragon was relentless in its advance.
"Oh, no… Trunks couldn't have survived that…" It was Sakura who spoke first, pale, looking worried at what had happened.
"Relax, he's fine. His ki is still intact," Goten explained, immediately drawing everyone's attention. "It's just that the fool got too confident and stood too weakly."
"Now you two," Zabuza's devilish voice erupted once more. Those present turned around, only to see the mist jounin standing at the edge of the lake.
He looked extremely exhausted, having used far more chakra than usual to create a water dragon stronger and more massive than any he'd ever made. His physical condition also went unnoticed. The damage to his shoulder, which he held with one hand, was evident, as was his bruised abdomen from the massive blow Trunks dealt him.
The Demon Hidden in the Mist was so enraged, it was staring at them with a horrible, bloodshot look. Kakashi could use that to his advantage, as in that state, his opponent wouldn't be able to get much further.
Both jounin were preparing to resume combat. Despite his punishment, Zabuza seemed to be quite fit to fight, judging by the way he held his enormous sword with astonishing ease.
"Hey, what the hell are you guys planning to do? He's mine! I won at rock, paper, scissors!" It was Trunks' voice. The boy walked casually through the path of debris and logs smashed by the water.
"It can't be! What the hell did you do to get out alive? Did you hide or something?" Naruto asked, more startled than usual. The blond was almost certain that Trunks had managed to get to safety at the last moment.
"What did I do? Nothing! I could never die from something like that. Although I admit it hurt a little when my body went through all those trees." was all he replied, cracking his neck to the side as if he were preparing for a warm-up.
Just as he suspected. Kakashi knew the Saiyan's stamina must be on par with his strength or speed. Somehow, the jounin figured Trunks would be fine, though not that fine.
"What the hell are you supposed to be!?" Zabuza yelled, his mind blown, taking a couple of steps back from the mixture of shock and fear that was beginning to take over every fiber of his being. Not only was it impossible for the boy to still be alive after that attack, but he was also completely unharmed.
"I was planning on fighting a little longer, but you're very dangerous. You could have killed someone with that," Trunks mumbled, doing his last stretches. "This has to end now."
No sooner had he said this than Zabuza felt a powerful impact on his sword arm. When he turned to face him, he saw that it was the boy who had kicked him sideways, hard enough to break his arm. His sword clattered to the ground, unable to hold it with his now useless limb. The boy's speed was so great that he didn't notice his presence until he was struck.
But the mist jounin was well known for his resistance to pain. As soon as he received the blow, he responded with a swift and accurate punch that connected squarely with the young warrior's face.
The counterattack was so unexpected that Trunks didn't have time to block it. The boy took a couple of steps back. Slowly, he turned his face toward Zabuza, showing him a confident smile.
"Not bad. You're a very resilient guy."
"SHUT UP!" an enraged assassin ninja shouted, launching a powerful kick at Trunks's stomach. The boy doubled over from the blow, bringing both hands to his abdomen, more out of instinct than pain. Then, the ninja pulled out a kunai, ready to slam it furiously into Trunks's back.
But before he could land his piercing attack, Trunks stood up and firmly grasped Zabuza's wrist with both hands. He then spun around and used his opponent's strength against him, throwing him to the ground in a judo hold.
The jounin's body hit with such force that the hard earth beneath him cracked like fragile glass. The entire exchange lasted at most a second. He was even more surprised when he noticed that the boy, far from letting go, gripped him even more firmly and began to spin in circles like a whirlwind.
The entire landscape became a blur before Zabuza's eyes, and then he was launched like a missile. His body was flying over the lake at enormous speed, unable to do anything to stop. When the jounin opened his eyes, he turned his head and saw something that horrified him: it was none other than Trunks flying directly below him, parallel to him, arms crossed over his chest and smiling mockingly.
The boy kicked him twice in the back, launching him more than a hundred meters into the air again. Then, he vanished into thin air, but it was only his inhuman speed that made him invisible to the naked eye. With that, the small Saiyan positioned himself directly above Zabuza, only to receive a powerful elbow strike directly to his chest. The mist jounin began to descend rapidly, like a meteorite, impacting the forest floor once again, only with much greater force than before.
The impact was so powerful that it raised a large cloud of dust and dirt everywhere. Everyone present, except Goten, was forced to cover their eyes to protect themselves. When the cloud of dust faded enough, everyone could see Zabuza's unconscious body, buried in a deep crater in the ground as a result of his violent landing.
"Is he dead?" was all Naruto could say after a few seconds of complete silence. His question seemed stupid, but Kakashi cautiously descended into the enormous hole to make sure, sliding down the steep walls of the crater and placing two of his fingers on the shinobi's neck.
"No, he's just unconscious. He still has vital signs, although he's quite injured. It's all over." With that, Kakashi placed the ninja headband back over his Sharingan eye, returning to normal.
"It's best to finish him off immediately," Sasuke said, gripping a kunai tightly in his hands. "We can't take the slightest risk."
Kakashi had to agree with him, but there was someone who made him change his mind.
"Don't do it!" Trunks shouted, having just landed, diverting the ninjas' attention. "There's no point in killing him. He can't continue; he's unconscious. Besides, it will take him a long time to recover after that. I can't allow them to kill someone who can't fight on their own."
"Me neither," Goten replied immediately. "It would be cowardly to kill him as he is. That's not what we've been taught."
"Well, they've learned very well," Kakashi replied after a few seconds of consideration. "Whoever their sensei is, I see that he has taught them about compassion, a value that has fallen into disuse and is difficult to find these days. You don't always have that option. Sometimes, there is no alternative but to kill. But I think we can leave it at that for once. After all, our mission is not to kill Zabuza, but to bring Tazuna back home." With that, Kakashi placed a hand gently on Sasuke's shoulder, urging him to lower his kunai.
The genins had their full attention on Trunks and Goten, who seemed extremely calm, as if facing such dangerous individuals was something common for them. Now, the boys had many more doubts about the pair of young warriors they had just met.
At first glance, they looked like two ordinary boys smiling and bumping their forearms in a sign of victory and celebration, since Kakashi had taken them at their word and ordered them not to kill Zabuza.