Zabuza was momentarily stunned by the other man's words.
Then, he laughed mockingly.
"Since you know my name and yet still want to make me your subordinate, you're being far too arrogant."
Although the other man's strength was indeed formidable and his close-combat skills surpassed his own, Zabuza was not one to serve under others.
Even if he could no longer stay in the Land of Water, he could still thrive in other countries by relying on his own abilities.
Seeing Zabuza's attitude, Ryōsuke knew this man would not be easily tamed.
However, he didn't want to miss out on such a source of free labor.
It seemed he would have to beat him into submission.
He had to shatter the man's self-confidence completely in one go.
He slowly released his grip on the blade.
"Arrogant? I'll show you if I have the right to be."
"Are you ready? I'm making my move."
Hearing this, Zabuza instantly focused his mind, while also feeling incredibly frustrated. He hadn't expected to encounter such a roadblock on his escape route.
It seemed that if he didn't go all out, the man would truly think he was a pushover.
In close combat, he was definitely no match for his opponent, so he had to use his ultimate move to end it in a single strike.
He immediately pulled back to create distance and began forming hand signs.
"Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu."
Thick mist instantly began to envelop the area.
It grew so dense that one could only see a meter or two ahead.
Zabuza's figure vanished completely into the heavy fog, moving without a single sound.
Seeing this, Haku became very anxious and quickly stepped forward to grab the leg of the masked man in black.
Sensing Haku's panic, Ryōsuke turned to comfort him.
"It's fine. He's just an ordinary opponent."
"There's no need to worry. I can deal with him easily."
At this stage, the only enemies that could truly pique his interest were probably those at the Six Paths level.
After two years of development, even if an enemy was at that level, that was all they were.
Because his current attribute panel was simply too terrifying.
His physical attributes, chakra capacity, and his steadily growing mental energy were all at staggering levels.
He had promised Tsunade that he wouldn't reveal his identity, which meant he couldn't use the Sharingan.
After all, the Sharingan was the symbol of the Uchiha clan.
But with his skyrocketing mental energy, his sensory perception had also greatly improved.
In this thick mist, if Zabuza dared to attack, he would easily detect his movements.
The reason he looked down on Zabuza was to ensure he wouldn't use the mist to escape, but rather provoke him into attacking.
Zabuza still had some pride, after all.
Haku felt a bit more at ease after hearing his words.
Meanwhile, Zabuza, hidden in the mist and shifting positions, was extremely angry.
'An ordinary opponent? Someone who could be defeated easily?'
'How arrogant. Even the Fourth Mizukage wouldn't dare to underestimate me so much.'
'Could this guy really be stronger than the Fourth Mizukage?'
Although the Fourth Mizukage was a cruel monster and Zabuza wanted to kill him...
...it didn't hinder Zabuza's recognition of the man's strength.
Even with the genius Hōzuki Mangetsu distracting the Fourth Mizukage from the front, Zabuza's attempt to launch a sneak attack had failed.
Even his best Silent Killing Technique had been useless.
'Yet this man before me holds me in such low regard; it's infuriating.'
'I have to make him pay a price.'
He, Zabuza, would not be looked down upon.
Using the mist, he concentrated his chakra, causing red currents of energy to erupt from his body.
He pushed his physical potential to the limit.
Under the cover of the thick fog, he used his short sword to launch a decapitation strike against the masked man in black.
This move was lightning fast—it was his absolute maximum speed.
Furthermore, with the help of the mist...
...his opponent's eyes would be completely unable to see his situation. By the time he reached the man, there would be no way for him to block.
Moreover, this guy was distracted by comforting a child; he was simply asking for death.
When Zabuza was within two meters of Ryōsuke...
Ryōsuke suddenly drew his short sword, blocking Zabuza's ferocious strike in an instant.
The clash of weapons even produced intense sparks.
Zabuza's expression was full of shock. 'How is this possible?'
'How could he block this move?'
'Did the guy have eyes in the back of his head?'
In this thick mist, visibility shouldn't exceed two meters.
At this distance and with his speed, his opponent shouldn't have had enough time to react.
In the shinobi world, perhaps only the Hyūga clan of Konoha, with their Byakugan, could observe everything in a 360-degree radius and see through the dense mist to find him.
But it was clear that the man's eyes didn't have white pupils, nor had he activated the Byakugan.
He felt fear in his heart, but since his strike failed, he didn't linger. He immediately retreated, wanting to hide back in the mist once more.
This was the essence of assassination: if a strike fails, do not engage, but retreat.
But how could Ryōsuke let him go?
He turned and accelerated, appearing right in front of Zabuza.
With one punch, he knocked away the short sword, then tossed the kunai from his person into the air.
Then, he unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks on Zabuza.
His lightning-fast speed made it impossible for Zabuza to defend himself, and he was beaten like a punching bag.
His body jerked continuously from the impacts.
Finally, Ryōsuke delivered a heavy kick to Zabuza's body, sending him flying.
Zabuza was kicked into the mist and crashed heavily onto the ground.
Ryōsuke finally relaxed. Although the attack was a bit heavy-handed, Zabuza was far too arrogant. If he wasn't beaten until he was like a dog, he wouldn't submit.
Having finished his business, Ryōsuke beckoned to Haku.
He took Haku into the mist to check on Zabuza.
Now, without Zabuza's chakra to sustain it, the mist gradually vanished.
Looking at Zabuza lying there like a dead dog...
Ryōsuke said with a smile.
"How about it? Are you convinced now? Am I still 'arrogant'?"
Zabuza, on the ground, coughed deeply several times, spitting out blood and bile. He knew the other man had no intention of taking his life.
Otherwise, that violent assault just now would not have avoided his vital points.
He was a terrifying master of taijutsu.
He feared that even Hōzuki Mangetsu or the Fourth Mizukage would be no match for the person in front of him in pure taijutsu.
When had such a person appeared in the shinobi world? He couldn't even see his true face through the mask.
"What organization are you from? And who are you?"
Ryōsuke laughed.
"My organization is called the Illuminati."
"As for my title, it is naturally the God King."
His purpose in establishing this organization was, of course, the same as the Akatsuki: to collect the Tailed Beasts, preventing them from being used by the Akatsuki to resurrect the Ten-Tails.
This should count as bringing light to the shinobi world.
Hearing such a grand title, Zabuza was momentarily dazed, but then felt a wave of disdain in his heart.
What an arrogant name. Although the man's strength had indeed crushed him, it still didn't change his opinion of the guy.
"There are two 'gods' in the shinobi world: Hanzo the Demigod, and Senju Hashirama, the God of Shinobi."
"Do you think you are stronger than those two?"