Amity River was the boundary that marked the western edge of town. A large suspension bridge led over the raging waters and connected Amity Park with the outside world. It was a beautiful, cloudless day and from the bridge, Danny, Sam, Tucker, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were able to see for miles. The six friends stood on the deserted bridge in a circle facing outward.
"C'mon, guys," Tucker complained. "How do you know that he'll even be-" all of a sudden, Zabuza materialized out of nowhere in front of them.
"-here," Tucker finished lamely.
"It was wise of you to come here…but wisdom won't help you defeat me!" He made a couple of hand signals and a thick, green mist covered the battlefield. "There's a reason why I was called the 'demon of the mist' back in life. While this mist surrounds you, I'll be able to attack without warning from any direction…" he faded away into the background as he spoke and by the time he finished he'd completely vanished.
"Everyone draw your weapons and stay completely silent," Sasuke warned the group as he drew a pair of anti-ghost kunie. Danny went ghost and charged up an orb of ectoplasmic energy in each hand. Sakura and Naruto each drew a pair of anti-ghost kunie like Sasuke, and Sam and Tucker each activated the armor of their Fenton Peelers.
The silence of those first few moments blanketed the group almost as thickly as the mist. They all stood in utter reticence and remained on their guard for any signs of motion. The silent standoff continued for thirty seconds…a minute…two minutes…
"You're very patient," Zabuza's voice came to them from everywhere at once and made them all jump. "But you're forgetting to look behind you!" Zabuza appeared in the center of the circle and swuing his large sword around in a circle. Danny instinctively grabbed Sam and Tucker and flew them straight up into the air at the same time as the genin jumped to avoid the sweeping circular blow Zabuza struck with his huge sword. Unfortunately, he disappeared into the mist just before any of them could strike back, so the six had no choice but to regroup. As soon as they came together, two Zabuza's approached them from either side. They were too far away to attack, but too close for comfort.
"I think," Danny began, "I think that we should split up into two groups of three."
"Are you nuts?" Naruto asked incredulously. "That's exactly what he wants!"
"True, but I don't see any other options here; do you?" Naruto's silence answered his question quite nicely. Naruto, Sakura, and Tucker moved towards the clone on the left, while Danny, Sasuke, and Sam took on the one on the right. As each trio approached their clone, the clones slowly moved in opposite directions and drew the two groups further and further apart from each other. Soon, too soon, each group disappeared from the others' sight as the mist enveloped them.