Naruto stood up shakily. Something wasn't right. This man... did Sensei know him? Hinata and Sasuke couldn't help but think the same thing. His presence alone struck unbridled fear in their hearts.
"Momochi Zabuza... I take it you're after Tazuna here?"
Zabuza's dry chuckle was all the answer she needed. "I'm afraid that I'll have to terminate you if you come at my client with lethal intent." Sakura warned.
Zabuza again laughed humorlessly. "You... protecting this scrub? Pitiful! What happened to the mighty warrior who would kill without a second thought, let alone the first?"
Sakura looked displeased at the stunned looks on her team's faces. She didn't want them to know about that stage in her life.
"That part of my life is over. I'm no longer leading a team of capable ANBU. These are children and their lives are at stake. If I can do nothing else, I'll ensure their survival." Sakura's eyes narrowed and her chakra spiked.
Zabuza just shook his head. He pulled his blade from the tree with a grunt and got into a stance. Sakura pulled a scroll out from her coat.
She unraveled it, revealing the Yama Kattā. The gorgeous black steel glistened in the sun. Sasuke leapt back to protect Tazuna with his teammates following suit.
"Kids, this fight is out of your league. He's an S-rank Shinobi, meaning there's no room for you three to get involved!" Sakura crouched into a tiger-like stance. Zabuza smirked and rushed forward.
The two Jonin engaged each other in a fierce Kenjutsu battle. Blow after blow was traded in rapid succession. The force of the swords rattled the very earth beneath them. Zabuza was keeping up with Sakura hit for hit, using his size advantage to push the pinkette back. A strong sideways stab to the hip by Zabuza was blocked and then returned tenfold with a upward cleave, knocking Zabuza's blade back. The Genin simply couldn't keep up.
'Incredible! Such skill... this guy is easily Jonin level.' Sasuke internally praised. Naruto just had his mouth gaped open at the speed at which they were going. Hinata had to gasp at the sheer power on display.
"Hazy Moon Technique!" Sakura swung her sword in a circular motion, emitting chakra from her body to create several afterimages. Zabuza narrowed his eyes. This couldn't be good.
The afterimages each sliced at Zabuza who turned into a puddle of water. Zabuza's reflection stared at the Konoha ninja through the puddle. Sakura jumped back in time to avoid a strike that would have decapitated her.
'She's good. But... that killer instinct she's so desperately trying to repress has not yet made its way to the surface. Then, we can fight earnestly!' Zabuza ran through some complex seals.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!" The liquid monstrosity made its way for Sakura. She responded in kind.
"Water Release: Deep Sea Serpent!" Zabuza had to hold back his gasp at such a Jutsu. The Serpent easily overpowered the dragon. A Konoha shinobi overpowering a Kiri shinobi in Suiton was practically unheard of, but Sakura was chock full of surprises it seemed.
"You're not known as 'The Master' for nothing. You're knowledgeability of ninjutsu may even exceed Hiruzen's."Sakura's face remained hard despite his words. Battle was not the time for acknowledging an opponent aloud. She wouldn't fall for the mental traps he was trying to lure her into.
In a swift movement, Sakura used Shunshin to appear in front of Zabuza. She used her unreal strength to punch him through a tree before he could defend. Chakra had not even been imbued in her fist and yet Zabuza was still upheaved from the earth as if he had the weight of a feather, and pushed back an epic distance.
'Incredible. I-i-is this Sensei's power?!' Hinata shuddered at the thought. Naruto couldn't allow himself to be shocked. Tazuna's safety was top priority. The Uchiha only watched in stony silence.
Sakura did not gloat or brag about the action, but the ghost of a smile did curl up onto her lips before vanished a split second later. Zabuza grunted as he got up from the rubble.
"Something funny? I'd like to laugh so why don't I give us something we'll both enjoy?!"
The nukenin clutched his sword as steam began to emit from it. Sakura felt the blade rapidly gathering chakra. This was his true ability? The man began to absorb chakra from the trees and grass causing them to wither away to nothing, in the process accumulating a considerable amount of chakra.
He cackled this time. "You seem confused. Allow me to enlighten you! Chakra is infinite meaning it's everywhere. Everything has chakra, even the most insignificant beetle. Kubikiribochi's Secret Jutsu is the ability to gather chakra and then release it!"
In a huge BOOM! the blast was sent towards Sakura, sending was sent sailing back hard past her team and Tazuna and into the forestry.
"SENSEI!" Naruto yelled, his composure breaking. Hinata was silent but she felt dread grow in her stomach. Tazuna could sense his impending death. Before they could blink properly, Zabuza was behind them.
"It's my turn now!" He thundered.
Before Zabuza could deal a fatal blow to Tazuna, Sakura clashed blades with him. "Not a wise idea Zabuza-kun." Zabuza leapt back in order to avoid the foot that had the force behind it to crack his jaw.
"Your resiliency is impressive. How'd you survive?"
Sakura decided there was no harm in telling him. Besides, it wasn't like she intended to draw this fight out anyways. She had a mission to complete.
"Right as the blast made contact, I substituted with a Kage Bunshin." Zabuza sighed.
"The woman who destroyed an entire Hidden Village in one night... murdered thousands in the blink of an eye... this is what has become of her? Subjected to weak farces instead of powering through the attack?" Zabuza was definitely less than impressed. That spark that she was so famed for was gone, it seemed.
Tazuna had quietly began to contemplate escaping. If his guardian was so accomplished in the art of mutilation, who's to say she wouldn't do the same to him? As quick as the thought came, it was dismissed. Any shinobi could catch him and he was sure an Elite would do it effortlessly. The old man could only wait for the end of the fight to come.
Sakura was annoyed at Zabuza bringing up painful memories from those days, but she did not let it show.
"I told you before, I'm no longer that person. I'm Sakura Kato, Jonin of Konoha. Squad 7 Leader." The pinkette had enough of the talk, and prepared for another skirmish. Her chakra spiked, making the earth itself groan in protest under such weight. She put her sword down and dashed for him. Zabuza grinned at the impressive speed on display and did the same as the two inched nearer and nearer.
Sakura's initial punch was blocked easily as he grabbed her fist and swung her around. When he decided to throw her roughly, she landed on her feet with little effort and twirled around on a headstand, showing agility resemblant of a nimble monkey.
Undeterred by the show of skill, Zabuza dashed for her again, but ran right into an unconventional headbutt. Unfazed, Zabuza grinned and punched her in the gut doubling her over and went for an axe kick which she dodged handily and returned with a vicious knee to the jaw, hurling him backwards into the other direction.
Zabuza landed roughly, and needed a small reprieve but Sakura would not allow it. Speeding forward, Sakura launched a Shuriken Kage Bushin, the multiple sharp objects coming toward him at insane speeds.
At that distance Zabuza had no choice but to swing his sword in a powerful arc, uprooting some of the projectiles successfully. However with sucesss came failure, and a lone kunai that Zabuza had not even seen impaled his shoulder.
"Gah!" Zabuza moaned in agony. The kunai had to have been imbedded with Futon, because a regular kunai would have never caused such pain. Sakura didn't allow him any breathing room once more, and blitzed forward.
Zabuza's defenses were bypassed with sickening ease, as a Herculean kick was thrown by Sakura. Although Sakura was fast, Zabuza was an S-ranked shinobi in his own right. The foot was perfectly blocked, but he was still sent flying from the sheer force behind it.
Team 7 could only awe at the scene. Their Sensei was handling the man with what seemed like ease. Sasuke's lips curled upward into a smile when the kick landed and Zabuza was thrown away again.
'Such pure strength... yes, I'm glad the Academy picked her as my teacher. '
Zabuza was growing angry at the way he was behind thrashed around, and pulled his sword towards his body. Zabuza noticed a sizable body of water behind Sakura and knew he had to get there.
He rushed in with his Kubukiribochi, and swung for Sakura. The blow was matched with equal force by the Yama Katta, and Zabuza was pushed back again which only served to enrage him. He was knocked back a trifle, and backed up into something, which made him turn around.
Another Sakura.
Zabuza wondered when Sakura had time to put a clone behind him but his thoughts were disrupted when the clone punched the air around them, creating a shockwave that blew Zabuza back into the the real Sakura's vicinity.
Zabuza had no time to marvel when he realized this was the clone the whole time. The master swordsman could only twist his body slightly to avoid as the clone exploded.
When the dust cleared, the former Sakura was a puddle of mud.
'So it was a mud clone putting the moves on me the entire time? Bitch.' Zabuza spat mentally. The man was no fool. He knew that Sakura was not giving nearly as much effort as she could and he was still handled with consummate ease.
' He is strong, but overconfident and sloppy. If he actually fought with his head and not blind emotions then he would be a force to be reckoned with. But as it stands, he's easy pickings.' Sakura noted to herself. But still, she would not underestimate the man.
Seething at being pushed back again, Zabuza quickly tried to formulate a strategy. 'Melee combat is out of the equation, as is ninjutsu. I'll have to use that method instead.' Zabuza thought to himself.
Zabuza got into a stance, forming a Tiger sign in one had and holding the other in the air. "Kirigakure no Jutsu!" A thick fog covered the area menacingly. Even Hinata's Byakugan couldn't see through it.
Zabuza moved incredibly quickly in the mist. Sakura could only sense him, and she wasn't adept at sensing without the use of Sage Mode. Sakura was then suddenly struck by an invisible fist.
"What was that?! Was that chakra?!" She nursed her nearly broken jaw. "His chakra manipulation is incredible. Not only can he use his chakra as a blast but he can make appendages and maybe even weapons!"
Zabuza once again grinned. Despite his successful maneuver this was the most dangerous fight he had ever been in and he was loving every second of it. He knew that deep down his foe still had that bloodthirsty nature, he just had to bring it to the surface.
A volley of chakra punches attacked Sakura who dodged gracefully. Sakura threw up the boar seal. "Ninpou: Wall Of Sakura!" A protective barrier of cherry blossoms shielded her from damage.
The blossoms became ropes which attached to Zabuza. She repeatedly used them to slam him into the ground mercilessly. She pulled him towards her and kicked him between the eyes with enough force to shatter a skull.
"I'm rusty... but that should've finished him!" Sakura had to use her lightning fast reflexes to block the incoming blow with her protective wall. Zabuza had been a Mizu Bunshin the entire time, and the real him now had a chakra monster attacking the wall.
It took on the form of an gorilla, which constantly punched the blossoms which began to falter. In one final push, the gorilla broke through the wall, which knocked Sakura back. The gorilla disappeared having spent all the chakra that was used to create it.
"Impressive. For mere leaves to hold back my Chakra Yokai for so long is admirable. However..." A new body of chakra took on the shape of a huge bear.
Sakura ran through hand seals. 'I may have to ramp it up a bit.' She mentally mused.
"Wind Style: Swirling Tiger Fist!" She incanted.
The Tiger made entirely of wind attacked the bear. Each attack pushed against the other, desperate to gain ground. After a valiant struggle, Sakura's attack was overpowered.
"You underestimate me! To think you'd hold back this much!" Zabuza bellowed.
Sakura mulled over her options quickly. If she went all out, her team could die. Sage Mode would just be overkill, and she doubted he would let her hold still for five full minutes. Sakura soon decided to end the fight as humanely as possible.
"Ninpou: Blossom Suppression!" Blossoms began to surround Zabuza and his Yokai. His body was encased in a giant sphere of cherry blossoms, which slowly drained his chakra.
Zabuza gripped his sword. 'Looks like I'll have to go ALL OUT!' His sword began to merge with his body, causing a white light to cancel Sakura's Jutsu.
'What is that light? He overcame my Fūinjutsu!' She mentally gasped. When the light cleared, Zabuza's blade was gone and the mist was even thicker.
His skin took on an oddly grey hue and his eyes were dead. His massive chakra took on the form of a purple skull. With the weaving of a hand sign, the ground began to rumble.
"Momochi Style: Yokai Creation!"
100 chakra Yokai rose up from the ground. Zabuza noticed the shocked look on his adversaries face so he decided to explain.
"When I gather enough chakra, I can create up to 100 Yokai. I do this by fusing with Kubikiribochi and mixing my own chakra with that i have absorbed. " The beast took on the form of various animals such as wolves, lions, bears, and hyena.
Sakura looked back at her subordinates. "There is no room for argument! Run as fast and as far away as you can. Things are about to get Bloody!"
Zabuza smirked. Finally a real fight!
They followed their orders silently and quickly as they dashed off into the forest with Tazuna in the lead. Sakura looked at the army. Her eyes turned cold.
"Do you know why Shinobi wear headbands?" Seeing his intrigued face she continued, with barely visible eyes peering into his very soul.
"Because without them we are nothing more than diabolical criminals." Sakura then removed her headband, revealing a red diamond marking. Her chakra levels increased dramatically a light blue glow surrounding her.
"Back then I was merely a criminal, lying to myself saying I acted for the Leaf. But bonds turned me away from my diabolical ways. However to battle you..."
Her hands moved at unreal speeds causing the ground to crack under such friction. "... I must return to my old ways!"
"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!" Sakura roared.