Chapter 147: Early Naruto-Era Combat
"Take this, Momochi Zabuza! Within a thirty-meter radius—Water-Lightning Style: Heavenly Dome Water Mirror Thunder Prison Thousand Cry Annihilation First Form!"
Naruto heroically shouted out the amazingly long technique name he had just conceived in a flash of inspiration.
"Hey, that name is way too long..."
Even in the midst of tense battle, hearing this somewhat absurdly lengthy jutsu name, Kakashi couldn't help but habitually mutter a complaint under his breath, thinking the scene felt familiar.
Of course, Naruto had no intention of completely defeating Zabuza with just this one move. If he used too much force and scared the opponent away, that would be problematic.
However, since Momochi Zabuza had once been an elite Jonin of Kirigakure, Naruto naturally wouldn't naively think this level of combination jutsu could make him completely lose fighting ability.
Sure enough, in Golden Experience's perception of life energy, that "Zabuza" being electrocuted and convulsing painfully in the water had a pitifully weak life energy signal.
The real, vigorous life energy source still remained steadily on the lake surface not far away.
Water clone...
Having seen through the opponent's trick, Naruto immediately threw an ordinary shuriken toward the water clone's location without hesitation! At the same time, his hands began forming seals again at dizzying speed!
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
With Naruto's shout, that seemingly ordinary shuriken suddenly split in mid-air. In the blink of an eye, dozens of shuriken shot toward Zabuza's clone location like a torrential downpour.
A series of dense "thunk" sounds rang out as the figure was instantly hit by countless shuriken, almost turned into a porcupine.
"This is the Third Hokage's jutsu..."
Kakashi recognized this A-rank technique developed by the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen upon seeing this scene. He hadn't expected Naruto to have learned even this.
Kakashi dispersed the chakra maintaining Lightning Style: Grateful Wave, and the lightning instantly extinguished.
"Die, brat!"
Zabuza's voice suddenly rang out from extremely close behind Naruto. His long sword tore through the mist, mercilessly slashing horizontally toward Naruto's nape.
Thunk!
The muffled sound of a blade piercing flesh came! But it wasn't Naruto who was injured—someone was faster than Zabuza. The moment the voice rang out, Kakashi's figure had already appeared behind Naruto like teleportation, his kunai precisely and ruthlessly stabbing first, deeply piercing the chest of "Zabuza" who had suddenly appeared for a sneak attack!
However... what gushed from the wound of the kunai-pierced "Zabuza" wasn't crimson blood, but clear water.
His body quickly became transparent and liquefied, finally collapsing with a "splash," turning into a puddle of clear water.
Another water clone.
Almost simultaneously as this water clone dissolved, another even sharper sound of cutting air came from behind Kakashi. It turned out the water clone that had just attacked Naruto was only bait—this follow-up strike aimed directly at Kakashi's back was the real killing blow.
Swish—!
The long sword pierced Kakashi's heart area without any obstruction. Zabuza, whose form appeared from behind, showed a victor's cruel and cold smile on his face—"The battle is over."
But... his smile instantly froze on his face. Because the "Kakashi" pierced by his long sword also didn't bleed at all from the wound, and his body began rapidly becoming blurred and liquefied, ultimately turning into a puddle of clear water that spilled to the ground.
I see... he had already used his Sharingan to copy and execute my Water Clone Technique back then! Zabuza was shocked.
Immediately after, a cold sensation pressed against Zabuza's neck. The real Kakashi appeared behind him, his kunai steadily pressed against his throat.
"Don't move."
Hearing Kakashi's voice full of killing intent, Zabuza instead let out a low, cold laugh. "Heh... I see, worthy of being Sharingan Kakashi. You actually copied my jutsu from the very first exchange... You used the Hidden Mist Technique to hide nearby from the beginning, using a water clone to replace yourself while waiting for the moment I showed an opening."
Kakashi didn't respond, only pressing his kunai closer. But he heard Zabuza continue: "And that brat... no wonder you were willing to let him get involved in the battle between us. It seems he indeed has the qualifications to be killed by me personally..."
"But... I'm not that easy to deal with!"
Zabuza's voice came once again—from behind Kakashi.
The body of the "Zabuza" Kakashi was restraining also began rapidly turning into clear water and dissipating—it was yet another deceptively real water clone.
...This kind of nested water clone reversal plot was getting a bit tiresome for Naruto watching from the side.
The real attack was only now coming. Zabuza's true form appeared at Kakashi's side-rear, his long sword slashing powerfully toward Kakashi's neck.
Kakashi reacted extremely quickly, immediately crouching down. The blade almost grazed past his silver hair.
Missing with one strike, Zabuza didn't pause, smoothly lifting his leg in a heavy whip kick toward Kakashi's lower body, trying to kick him away and make him lose balance.
At this critical moment!
Whoosh!
A figure immediately rushed in. Naruto wielding a kunai at an extremely tricky angle, suddenly thrust toward Zabuza's upper body.
Zabuza hadn't expected this brat's reaction speed and attack timing to be so precisely ruthless. With no choice, he had to forcibly interrupt his pursuit of Kakashi and turn his blade to block.
Clang!
Kunai and long sword collided violently, sparking. Naruto's timely intervention completely resolved Kakashi's crisis.
It seems this sneak attack failed... Zabuza cursed inwardly, wanting to use the thick mist to conceal himself again and plan the next attack.
However, just as he prepared to withdraw and merge back into the mist—
Suddenly! Several shuriken shot out from the thick fog behind him, aimed directly at his back.
"What?!"
Zabuza, with his rich combat instincts, sensed the killing intent from behind at the last moment. In shock, he immediately forced his body to twist and dodge.
But those shuriken seemed to have life, drawing strange arcs in the air, curving around him and finally embedding "thunk thunk thunk" in the trees behind him!
This is... Manipulating Shuriken Technique?!
Just as Zabuza was distracted by this exquisite manipulation technique—
The real killing move had already arrived! Kakashi once again seized this fleeting opportunity and attacked fiercely. Perhaps because the current Kakashi was out of practice and couldn't instantly use Chidori, he chose the most direct method—his kunai concentrated with cold killing intent, stabbing straight for Zabuza's heart!
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