Before we begin, I would like to comment on a few things. I had some criticisms, which may be well-aimed and point out a mistake of mine, which is that I am trying to converge the Naruto Canon with the Naruto I want to write. Which is true, but I just want to keep certain aspects of Naruto Canon. I'm going to think about what to do and how to make it work without somehow feeling contradictory.
But, I also think you forgot certain contexts of the scenes that were pointed out. Hinata is Naruto's partner and has never treated him badly, quite the opposite. Besides, she was just voted out of her house, Naruto feels empathy for her and that's why he decides to lie to her about his jacket. With Kurenai he feels some guilt and responsibility for the death of his father. With Tazuna we see a man who despises him and more importantly attacks the main reason for Naruto's pride, his family which leads to a fit of rage for his wounded pride. But again, if I have to go out and explain it myself, it's because it's poorly written and I didn't describe it correctly.
One last thing, Naruto proposed to give an Uzushiogakure technique, but he never said it would be an important one. They were a village with hundreds of techniques, such as sealing. The secret and important techniques, such as the Shunko, Naruto would never give them because they are reserved for his descendants or subordinates loyal to him and not to Konoha.
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Everything is free! All the fanfics will be published and completed here. But by supporting me, you can read the drafts and the upcoming chapters before they are released. Currently, there are three chapters available: Chapter 8 of Legacy of Uzushiogakure: Preparation. Chapter 9: Training and Chapter 10: The Battle For The Bridge (Part 1). And for the House Lucifer, the draft of Chapter 11: The Battle For The Bridge (Part 2) is already available.
Thanks to Robert and Michael for their support!
"Naruto... it's good that you're getting rid of the poison, but..." Kakashi approached with a playful smile. "A bit more and... you might have bled out," he finished playfully.
"Huh?" Naruto looked at his hand for a moment with a calm expression.
"Naruto! Are you a masochist? What are you thinking?" Sakura spoke harshly.
"The wound is already closed." Naruto showed his hand to his teammates.
All that remained of the hand where Naruto had stabbed himself with the kunai was a small opening, more of a scrape than a cut.
"Let me see." Kakashi opened his single eye, impressed. Naruto's wound was already healing. The Jōnin's gaze narrowed, and he proceeded to wrap the hand in a bandage.
"Is everything alright?" Naruto tilted his head with a curious look.
"You'll be fine," Kakashi assured gently. 'It must be the power of the Nine-Tails Fox,' Hatake added in his thoughts.
"Sensei," Tazuna intervened seriously. Kakashi turned to look at him with interest. "I need to talk to you."
They took a boat to reach the Land of Waves. The driver was a friend of Tazuna's, but Naruto couldn't help but notice the tension in his shoulders and the stiffness of his movements. The small boat they were in had a motor, but the driver preferred to use an oar to navigate.
"The mist is too thick, I can't see what's in front of us," Sakura said, concerned.
Naruto had to agree with his teammate; even with his senses enhanced thanks to the first pill, he could barely see a few meters ahead.
"Soon we'll see the bridge," said the driver. "The Land of Waves is at the base of the bridge."
It didn't take long to confirm the man's words were true. The circular brick pillars rose like columns from the water, supporting the half-finished bridge, where construction equipment like cranes could be seen. It was a simple style construction, but it emanated great confidence.
"Wow! It's huge," Naruto said, impressed, perhaps a bit louder than he should have.
"Hey! Be quiet!" the driver snapped nervously. "Why do you think we're hiding in the mist and not using the motor? We'll be in big trouble if Gatou finds us."
Naruto covered his mouth, embarrassed by his slip. Sasuke glanced at the driver with a neutral expression, and Sakura widened her eyes slightly, surprised by the driver's scared tone at the mention of Gatou.
Kakashi narrowed his visible eye, recalling the conversation with Tazuna, who averted his gaze with a frown.
"Sensei, I need to talk to you," Tazuna said seriously. "It's about the mission," he added, approaching the Jōnin. "You're right, this job is a bit out of your normal activities. There's a very dangerous man after me."
"A very dangerous man?" Kakashi asked. "Who?"
"You might have heard his name before," Tazuna replied with a sigh. "The corrupt shipping magnate. A man named Gatou."
"What?! Gatou...?" Kakashi's single eye widened in surprise. "From the Gatou company? It's said that he's one of the few extremely rich people in the world."
"Yes... officially, he runs one of the largest shipping companies. But secretly, he sells drugs and other illegal things, using ninjas and gangs to handle the business and the countries. He's an evil man," Tazuna declared with a voice full of loathing and venom. "A year ago, he set his sights on the Land of Waves... Through money and violence, he quickly took control of the country's shipping industry. Now he's monopolized all the trafficking businesses in the country. His only fear is the bridge being completed."
"I see..." Sakura spoke, rubbing her chin. "Since you started building the bridge, you've been in his way," she deduced.
"So, those ninjas were hired by Gatou?" Sasuke interrogated.
Naruto remained silent with a serious expression.
Tazuna simply lowered his gaze.
"But what I don't understand is... if you knew there were ninjas after you. Why did you hide it when you hired us?" Kakashi questioned.
"The Land of Waves is very poor. Not even the feudal lord has money. Obviously, neither do we, and even less for a costly B-rank mission," Tazuna explained seriously.
Kakashi gave him a sympathetic, almost empathetic look.
"Well... if you quit now, I'll definitely be killed, but," Tazuna let out a hearty laugh. "Don't worry! If I die, my ten-year-old grandson will cry for a few days. Oh yes, and my daughter will spend the rest of her sad life hating the ninjas of the Leaf Village forever, but it won't be your fault at all," he continued with a tone that pretended to be carefree.
"I don't like you," Naruto intervened with a serious look, arms crossed over his chest. "Not only did you insult and belittle my family, but now you're also trying, pathetically, to manipulate us by making us feel sorry for you," he continued, directing a reproachful look at the old man. "But I know that if we don't help you, I won't have peace of mind, and my teachers will probably punish me. So, no matter how much I dislike this decrepit old man, I propose we continue with the mission."
"Well, it seems there's no other choice." Kakashi sighed. "We'll protect you until you return home."
"We'll be arriving soon," said the boatman. In the distance, a much smaller bridge than the previous one could be seen, and a little further ahead, some houses. "Tazuna... it seems we haven't been detected so far, but... just to be cautious, we'll take the route with vegetation, so it'll be harder for them to find you."
"Well, thank you."
The boat passed under the arches of the bridge. Upon exiting the other side, they were greeted by strange trees that Naruto had never seen in his life.
"What's that tree called?" the Uzumaki asked his teacher with curiosity.
"Mangrove."
The mangrove stood firm, with its exposed roots hugging the water. Its bright green leaves formed a natural refuge. In the distance, wooden houses built on stilts rose like guardians over the mirror of the water. Sloped roofs, clad in metal sheets, reflected the midday sun in golden and coppery glints.
They advanced through several mangroves that seemed common in the area until they reached a small wooden house where they disembarked.
"We're done. Goodbye and good luck," said the boatman as he bid farewell.
"Yes, thank you very much," said Tazuna with a smile. He spent a moment watching the boatman leave, then turned to Team Seven. "Well, get me home safe and sound."
"Yes, yes..." Kakashi said nonchalantly. 'If we're attacked again, it will surely be a Jōnin and not a Chūnin,' he thought with a tired look.
"Sensei," Naruto commented between gasps and with a grimace of pain. "I think the poison is starting to take effect."
"Let me see." Kakashi approached the Uzumaki, worried.
"Someone is watching us," Naruto whispered in his teacher's ear, causing him to shiver.
"Are you... sure?"
"Yes. I can feel their repressed killing intent." Naruto, under the façade of a boy sick with poison, had a firm look.
"I see," Kakashi nodded. "You have nothing, Naruto," he continued after examining Naruto's wound. "What you're feeling is due to the blood loss from when you stabbed yourself with the kunai. It will pass after we rest."
"There!" Naruto threw a shuriken towards some bushes, surprising everyone. But nothing happened, and the only sound was the sigh of the wind.
"Heh... it was just a rat." Naruto struck a cool pose.
"Stop trying to look cool! There was nothing there!" Sakura scolded him.
"Hey... please stop using shurikens... it's really dangerous," Kakashi said nervously.
"Hey idiot! Stop acting like a fool!" Tazuna exclaimed, furious.
"Hey, I think I saw a shadow!" Naruto said, his eyes darting back and forth, vigilant.
'He's acting like a fool on purpose,' Kakashi thought, realizing Naruto's strategy. 'That way, whatever we've talked about will seem insignificant because they'll think he's a fool.'
Kakashi narrowed his eyes seriously for a moment. Now he also sensed that someone was watching them.
"There!" Naruto threw another shuriken towards a nearby bush.
"I said stop!" Sakura hit Naruto on the head, causing him to yelp in pain.
"Someone is behind that bush, I swear."
"Yeah, right!" Sakura didn't believe Naruto at all.
Kakashi approached the bush to discover that Naruto had almost killed a snow-white rabbit.
"Oh! Naruto! Do you see what you've done!?" Sakura scolded him with an annoyed voice after seeing the rabbit.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry, little bunny." Naruto hugged the rabbit with tears in his eyes.
"Awn... just a rabbit," Tazuna said disdainfully.
'That's a snow rabbit. It's still spring, why does it have that color?' Kakashi wondered in his mind. 'The snow color changes based on the amount of sunlight. Its color is only white during the winter.' Kakashi frowned, his gaze attentive. 'This rabbit has been kept in a box to prevent its fur color from changing. That means they're already here.'
'I see... That's why the demon brothers didn't stand a chance,' thought the ninja hidden among the trees, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. 'The copy ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village. Kakashi of the Sharingan.'
"Everyone, get down!" Kakashi ordered seriously.
Naruto pushed Sakura to the ground. Sasuke did the same with Tazuna. Kakashi ducked, and thanks to that, everyone avoided being decapitated by a large sword. The sword embedded itself in one of the trees, and a ninja landed on its hilt.
He was a tall, very muscular man with dark skin. Short, spiky black hair, with cold brown eyes. He wore bandages like a mask. He wore a headband that identified him as a ninja from the village of Kirigakure.
'He is...' Kakashi recognized him with a severe look.
"Well, well. Isn't this the rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist Village? Zabuza." Kakashi straightened up.
Naruto drew his sword and stepped forward, but Kakashi extended a hand and stopped him.
"Everyone, step back," Hatake ordered. "He's on another level. Against him," he continued, lifting the slanted headband that covered his other eye to the surprise of his students. "It will be difficult unless I do this."
"Apparently, you are Kakashi, the guy with the Sharingan..." Zabuza recognized seriously. "Sorry, but... I'm taking the old man."
"Sharingan?" Naruto turned to Kakashi and then to Sasuke. "That's not..."
'Sharingan?!' Sasuke observed his teacher with a surprised look.
"Do not separate and protect Mr. Tazuna. Do not even think about getting involved in this, understood? That will be your teamwork for today," Kakashi ordered, slowly raising the ninja headband. "Zabuza first. You will fight me!"
"Oh!" Naruto's mouth opened in amazement. Kakashi's other eye was blood red, with three tomoe around the pupil. "Wow, I can finally see the famous Sharingan. What an honor!" Zabuza turned to Kakashi, amused.
"What is the Sharingan?" Tazuna asked, confused.
"Sharingan. It's said that masters of the Dōjutsu develop the ability to predict and counter any technique their opponent uses, whether it's Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, or Genjutsu. The Sharingan is one of the Dōjutsu techniques with pupils that grant that power," Sasuke explained.
"But the Sharingan is more than that." Zabuza let out a small laugh. "Heh, heh, exactly. That's not all. The fearsome thing is that it can copy any jutsu from your opponent just by seeing it. When I was part of the assassination squad of the Hidden Mist Village, I carried a small guidebook full of shinobi information. Among them was Kakashi Hatake," Zabuza confessed. "Do you want to know what it said? The man who has copied more than 1000 jutsus, the copy ninja, Kakashi Hatake."
'What's going on? First the old Hokage, and now him sensei. It turns out they are extraordinary ninjas!' Sakura thought, perplexed.
'What does this mean?' Sasuke glanced at Kakashi with narrowed eyes and a hint of suspicion. 'The Sharingan is a special condition... that only manifests in a few of the Uchiha clan. Could it be...?'
"Let's get to the point. End of the chatter," Zabuza decided coldly. "I have to kill that old man at once."
Tazuna's eyes widened, and he let out a gasp. The three Genin positioned themselves in front of him to protect him.
"But, Kakashi, it seems I have to defeat you first." Zabuza jumped and ripped his sword from the tree, landing on the water.
"He's on the water?!" Sakura spoke, surprised.
"When you have good chakra control, you can walk on water," Naruto revealed with a frown. Not only did this show that their opponent was not just anyone, but he was also concentrating a large amount of chakra.
"Ninpou: Kirigakure no Jutsu." Zabuza vanished into the mist, and the only thing left where he had been standing was a tree leaf that drifted down to the water.
"He disappeared!" Sakura screamed.
"He wants to kill me by surprise," Kakashi said calmly. "Zabuza Momochi, as a member of the Hidden Mist Village, is famous for silently killing his enemy. He might kill us without us even realizing it. And I can't use the Sharingan perfectly. So be careful."
"The mist is spreading!" Naruto narrowed his eyes and took a combat stance with his sword drawn.
"Eight options." Zabuza's voice sounded close, but at the same time distant, as if he was whispering in your ear yet meters away.
"What?!" Sakura's eyes widened as she heard Zabuza's voice.
"Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, aorta, kidneys, and heart. Which of these points will be my target?"
Everyone was shocked. Kakashi squinted and made a hand seal. The Genin and even Tazuna himself shuddered as they perceived Zabuza's chakra and killing intent.
'What dangerous and incredible chakra,' Sasuke thought, drenched in cold sweat. 'It's as if he could kill me in the blink of an eye. That could drive anyone mad.' His body trembled with fear, and his shoulders were as rigid as rocks. 'The killing intent of two Jōnin... The sensation of knowing your life is at their mercy.' A lump formed in his throat, and fear tightened his stomach like a snake. 'I can't take it anymore... I'd rather die than keep enduring this tension.'
"Sasuke."
The Uchiha looked up, surprised, to see his teacher.
"Calm down. I will protect you with my life, if necessary," Kakashi promised with a reassuring voice. "I won't let my comrades die," he continued with a smiling look.
The three Genin looked at their teacher with a mix of relief and surprise. Their bodies relaxed a bit.
"We'll see about that!" Zabuza declared, appearing among the Genin. "It's over!"
But before he could move the sword to kill Tazuna and the Genin, Kakashi darted at lightning speed and impaled him with his kunai. However, no blood came out of the wound, only water. Another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi.
"Sensei! Behind you!" Naruto warned, pointing at the Zabuza behind Kakashi.
Hatake's eyes widened. Zabuza made a diagonal slash. Kakashi was cut in half. Sakura screamed. But again, no blood spilled, only water.
'A Mizu Bunshin No Jutsu?!' Zabuza's eyes widened in disbelief. 'Impossible! How did he copy it in the middle of this mist?'
"Don't move!" Kakashi appeared behind Zabuza with his kunai pointing at his neck. "It's over!"
Zabuza chuckled softly.
"Heh, heh, heh, what's over? You don't realize anything. You're going to need more than imitating me like a mime to defeat me. And it won't be easy." The swordsman laughed again despite being in a position where Kakashi could end his life with a single movement of his kunai. "But you impress me." Zabuza looked over his shoulder at his opponent. "Back then you had already copied my Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu. You made your clone say those words to catch my attention while the real one hid in the mist and observed, a good plan. But..." Zabuza praised. "I'm not that easy to defeat," continued another Zabuza who appeared behind Kakashi.
The Zabuza Kakashi had neutralized turned into water, surprising everyone. Kakashi turned towards the other Zabuza with a shocked expression. Zabuza launched a vertical slash. Kakashi ducked and dodged it. Zabuza's sword continued its path until it embedded itself in the ground. Its wielder completed a turn using his sword as support and kicked Kakashi. Hatake had no time to defend himself and was sent flying several steps.
'Now!' Zabuza recovered his sword and launched himself towards the Jōnin from the Hidden Leaf Village. He widened his eyes and stopped. 'Makibishi!' The area was filled with caltrops that prevented him from advancing.
"Pathetic." Zabuza disappeared.
"Sensei!" Naruto shouted, worried.
'Did Kakashi-sensei really hit him?' Sakura wondered in her mind.
"He's also strong in Taijutsu," said Sasuke, frowning.
'What's wrong with the water?' Kakashi emerged from the water, soaked and unable to walk properly on it. 'It's heavy.'
"Heh, idiot." Zabuza took advantage of Kakashi's distraction and appeared behind him. He made several hand seals and then extended both hands towards Kakashi. "Suirō no Jutsu."
"Damn it!" Kakashi glanced over his shoulder to see Zabuza, but he had no time to escape and was trapped in a water sphere. 'I thought I could cover myself with the water, but that was a mistake on my part.'
Zabuza let out a mocking laugh.
"You've fallen into the trap. This is a special cell that you can't escape from." Zabuza had one hand extended, maintaining the water sphere. "You give me a lot of trouble when you can move. Anyway, Kakashi... I'll let you be the last to die." Zabuza turned towards Tazuna and the Genin, then made a hand seal. "Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu."
'He's stronger than I thought,' Kakashi admitted with a grimace.
From the crystal-clear water emerged a humanoid figure, its silhouette slowly taking shape. The clone's body rose from the small puddle of water. Tazuna and the Genin watched in awe, with a mix of fear and nervousness. The clone, now fully formed, stood still for a moment, with water still dripping from its body like a gentle rain.
The clone laughed, giving the Genin a disdainful look.
"Heh, heh, heh, you three wear headbands and act like ninjas, but a real ninja is someone who has faced life and death situations numerous times." He made a hand seal, and his body began to dissolve into mist. "Only when you are good enough to be in my book can you call yourselves ninjas. You are not ninjas."
'He's disappeared again,' thought Naruto, drenched in sweat and with a racing heart.
Uzumaki's skin bristled. His eyes widened, and instinctively, he raised his sword. His katana stopped Zabuza's clone's sword.
"That's a nice sword," Zabuza said with a mocking smirk. "I'll take it after I pry it from your lifeless fingers."
Naruto gritted his teeth as Zabuza applied pressure, and his sword began to move dangerously close to his shoulder. His legs trembled like jelly and threatened to give out at any moment. The Uzumaki let out a roar and summoned all his strength to push back the attack. Zabuza's eyes widened slightly before he started attacking with random movements of his sword wielded with one hand.
'How is he so strong with one hand?' The Uzumaki defended himself, and each time their swords clashed, a sharp, uncomfortable screech echoed. Naruto's hands trembled; his bones shook with pain. Naruto stepped back after defending against another attack. With a simple movement, Zabuza disarmed him. His katana flew through the air and landed near where Sasuke was standing.
'Damn it.' Naruto barely had time to raise his hands to protect himself from the kick he received. Naruto was sent flying, spitting blood, and with his headband coming loose from his forehead.
Naruto landed a few meters away and stopped after sliding a bit. Zabuza, with the same leg he used to kick him, stepped on his ninja headband mockingly.
"Naruto!" Sakura shouted, worried.
"They're just brats," the original Zabuza mocked.
Kakashi let out a slight growl.
"Take Mr. Tazuna and run! You have no chance against him! As long as he has me trapped in this prison, he won't be able to move," Kakashi shouted to his team desperately. "And the Mizu Bunshin can't go far from his real body. Just run now!"
Everyone trembled with fear at Zabuza's power. Without Kakashi, they knew their chances of winning were nil.
'Run? You must be joking,' Sasuke thought, gritting his teeth. 'When he caught you, running stopped being an option. Even if we leave, Zabuza would catch us once he's done with you...' Sasuke narrowed his eyes. 'Even if we resumed the swastika formation, it would be practically impossible to block his attacks.' He glanced at Naruto and then at Sakura, both trembling. 'So, we don't have many alternatives. If we want to survive, we must free you.'
"We have to do it!" the Uchiha said determinedly, then launched himself towards Zabuza.
Sasuke threw several shurikens at Zabuza, who deflected them all with a simple movement of his sword. Sasuke took advantage of that small window of time to jump with a kunai in hand.
"This is my chance!" Sasuke shouted.
"Too easy..." Zabuza grabbed him in the air by the neck, like catching an annoying mosquito. Then he threw him forcefully. With a muffled cry, Sasuke's body was brutally thrown to the ground, impacting with a thud. The force of the blow made him slide across the ground, leaving a cloud of dust and a marked trail.
"Sasuke-kun!"
"Sasuke has been..." Naruto's stomach knotted, and he looked back at Zabuza, who returned his gaze with fierce and intimidating eyes. 'This is a Jōnin, a real ninja. I have to escape. In these circumstances, he'll kill us. Without a doubt!'
Naruto turned to run, but when he planted a hand, a lash of pain shot through his body. His hand was wrapped in bandages. Seeing it, Naruto narrowed his eyes with a reflective expression, remembering when he got the wound and the oath he made.
"I swear by the pain in my left hand!"
The blood he shed as a sign of his determination to seal that oath. He said he would never need to be saved again
"I won't be scared, nor will I try to run away!"
The memory of Sasuke mocking him after saving him, calling him a scared kitten, made Naruto frown. Where did his competitive spirit go, the one that decided he was going to defeat Sasuke?
Naruto glanced over his shoulder to see his ninja headband being stepped on by Zabuza's clone.
"Sensei, can I borrow your headband?" Naruto asked Iruka.
"Oh, this?" Iruka touched the protector with a slight smile. "No, no. This is a symbol that you have graduated and grown."
"Naruto, come here." Iruka called him after defeating Mizuki. "There's something I want to give you."
"Congratulations on graduating!" Iruka handed him his ninja headband, the same one Zabuza was stepping on.
"Because all of you... are just scum that doesn't deserve to be ninjas," Kakashi had told them. "In every mission, you risk your lives," Naruto remembered the stone on which his mother's name was engraved. "You passed." He also recalled Kakashi's smiling look.
Finally, Naruto remembered Haruto, Kaida, and Kaito. The promise he made with them to fulfill their dreams. How could he become Hokage if every time he went to fight, he got scared?
'It's true. I became a ninja and swore I wouldn't run away anymore.' Naruto stood up with a determined look and clenched his fist tightly. 'I won't run away ever again!' With a roar, Naruto launched himself at Zabuza.
"No! Stop!" Kakashi shouted.
"Naruto? What are you thinking?" Sakura held her head in her hands.
"Bah, idiot." Zabuza dismissed him with another kick that sent Naruto flying to where his teammates were.
"What are you doing attacking him alone? We're Genin, we have no chance against him." Sakura widened her eyes, surprised. In Naruto's left hand was his ninja headband.
"Sorry, I wanted to get this back; it was a gift from Iruka-sensei." Naruto stood up slowly. "Hey... you, eyebrow-less weirdo." A trickle of blood ran down Naruto's lip and dripped from his chin.
Zabuza narrowed his eyes with rage flashing behind them.
"Put this in your book. The man who will one day become Hokage." Naruto smiled and put on his ninja headband. "From the Hidden Leaf Village. Naruto Uzumaki!"
'Naruto.' Kakashi showed an expression of astonishment.
"Uzumaki?" Zabuza repeated, frowning.
'That red-haired kid. He's not as useless as I thought,' Tazuna thought, impressed.
"Sasuke! Listen!" Naruto called to his black-haired teammate.
"What, tell me?"
"I have a plan."
'Has he come up with a plan at a time like this...?' Sasuke wondered in his mind. "I can't believe you want us to fight as a team," he said to Naruto.
'What? What is this strange feeling? Was Naruto always like this?' Sakura reflected, feeling a strange warmth running through her body. A kind of security emanating from Naruto now spread to her, making the fear she felt towards Zabuza dissipate.
"Now let's get wild." Naruto wiped the trickle of blood from his mouth with a bold smile.
"You're very arrogant, like your entire clan. Do you think you stand a chance?" Zabuza said.
'This is going badly,' Kakashi thought, worried. "What the hell are you doing?! Get out of here! This fight ended when I was captured! Your duty is to protect Mr. Tazuna! Have you forgotten or what?!" he shouted desperately.
"Old man..." Naruto turned to Tazuna.
"Well..." Tazuna spoke with his expression shadowed by his hat. "Don't worry. I got you into this, so surviving is no longer my priority. I'm sorry, guys. Fight as much as you want," he continued, drawing a smile on his face.
Sasuke let out a slight snort and smiled slightly. "Did you hear that?"
"Are you ready?" Naruto asked him with a wide grin.
Zabuza let out a mocking laugh.
"You'll never learn, right?"
"What?" Naruto frowned.
"You're still playing at being ninja, huh?" Zabuza said. "When I..." he added, raising a hand. "When I was your age, my hands were already covered in blood," he finished with a penetrating look.
That surprised the entire Team Seven and Tazuna.
"Zabuza the demon," Kakashi recognized.
"Oh... it seems you've heard of me," the original Zabuza spoke.
"Long ago, the Hidden Mist Village was known as the Bloody Mist Village. There, they had one final test before becoming ninjas," Kakashi revealed seriously.
"Hm. So, you also know about the final test..."
"What final test?" Naruto asked, confused.
Zabuza laughed.
"What is this final test?!" Naruto insisted.
Zabuza continued laughing for a few seconds. When he calmed down, he raised his head with an intense look.
'Huh?' Naruto's eyes widened.
"Friends who trained together and even ate at the same table were forced to fight until one of them died. Friends with whom you helped each other and shared dreams," Kakashi explained.
"That's horrible," Sakura spoke, horrified.
"Ten years ago, the graduation exam of the Hidden Mist Village had to be reformed. This change came about because the previous year, a demon appeared," Kakashi continued.
"Reformed?" Sakura questioned with a confused look. "What change? What did that demon do?"
"Without any remorse. A small child didn't even have the right to say he was a ninja. He killed more than a hundred candidates that year," Kakashi answered.
"That was really fun." Zabuza narrowed his eyes with a perverse look. Then he lowered his gaze and focused his piercing eyes on Sasuke and Naruto, who shuddered.
Zabuza disappeared and reappeared in an instant next to Sasuke. The Uchiha had no time to react when Zabuza drove his elbow into his abdomen. Sasuke spat blood into the air. Zabuza extended the arm with which he struck the Uchiha and plunged his hand into his opponent's abdomen, then slammed him into the ground. Sasuke vomited a large amount of blood.
"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed.
Kakashi trembled with rage in his prison, overwhelmed by the helplessness of being unable to do anything.
"Die." Zabuza's clone reached for the hilt of his sword to kill Sasuke.
'Damn it!' Naruto formed a hand seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." The Uzumaki created dozens of his own replicas that surrounded the Kirigakure ninja.
"Ooh... Kage Bunshin... And you've made many," Zabuza said calmly, unaffected by Naruto and his clones' numerical superiority.
"Here I come!" All the Narutos drew their swords and rushed towards Zabuza to attack him simultaneously.
Zabuza dispatched them all with a simple circular movement of his sword, sending Naruto flying and destroying several clones.
'It's useless. He can't beat him,' Tazuna thought, losing hope.
'This is the only way to defeat him.' Naruto, while sliding, grabbed his backpack and pulled something out to throw it.
"Sasuke!"
The Uchiha opened his eyes and extended his hand to catch what Naruto had thrown to him. It was a four-bladed shuriken.
'I see, so this was the plan. Well, done, Naruto!' Sasuke unfolded the blades, revealing a large shuriken.
Zabuza was surprised. Sasuke stood up with his eyes closed and a concentrated expression.
"Wind Demon Shuriken. Shadow Windmill!" Sasuke made a great leap into the air.
"A shuriken won't work against me," Zabuza's clone replied.
Sasuke threw the shuriken with all his strength, but it veered away from the clone and headed towards the original Zabuza, who was holding Kakashi captive.
"Oh, I see... you're aiming at the real one. It won't work." Zabuza, with his other hand, easily caught the shuriken by its center. However, at that moment, he realized there wasn't just one shuriken but two. "There was another shuriken in the shadow," he continued, surprised.
'It's the shadow shuriken jutsu,' Kakashi thought.
'A second shuriken hidden in the blind spot?!' Sakura pondered.
"But!" Zabuza jumped and dodged the second shuriken. "It's not enough."
'He dodged it!' Sakura thought, surprised.
But Sasuke smiled. A puff of smoke enveloped the shuriken, and out of it appeared Naruto with a kunai in his left hand, ready to be thrown.
'Now!' To everyone's surprise, Naruto threw the shuriken towards Zabuza. Zabuza's eyes widened as the kunai approached his head. With no other option, he had to move to dodge it and, therefore, had to release Kakashi from his prison.
Despite dodging it, a small cut that bled appeared under his eye. Zabuza turned with a face red and distorted with rage. With the giant shuriken he held in hand, he lunged at Naruto.
"Damn brat!" Momochi exclaimed with a look full of burning fury.
The blood flowed in spurts, but it wasn't Naruto's; it was Kakashi's, who stopped Zabuza's attack with his fist. Kakashi's penetrating, serious, and grim look made Zabuza shudder.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura shouted, beaming with joy.
"Naruto, good plan," Kakashi praised the redhead. "It seems you've matured."
Naruto chuckled slightly.
"The goal of my Kage Bunshin wasn't to defeat Zabuza but to hide that I transformed into the shuriken. Of course, I didn't think I could defeat him, but I thought we could free him from the Suirō no Jutsu. The Kage Bunshin was just a distraction. The real body transformed. The clone took the shuriken and sent it to Sasuke. Sasuke used it with a shuriken he had and threw it," the Uzumaki explained with a proud smile.
Zabuza scoffed.
"I got distracted and lost control of the jutsu."
"Don't fool yourself!" Kakashi replied coldly. "You didn't lose control; you were forced to."
Zabuza's jaw tensed, a vein bulging in annoyance.
"Let me tell you, I won't fall for the same trick twice," Kakashi declared. "What will you do now?"
Zabuza snorted before both ninjas moved away to reposition themselves. Kakashi's Sharingan activated, copying almost half a hundred hand seals that Zabuza made.
"Suiton: Suiryūdan No Jutsu." Both finished the jutsu simultaneously.
The water rose around them in columns that twisted and intertwined. Gradually, they took the shape of dragons that, once complete, crashed into each other with force. The clash of water caused an increase in the sea level that extended to the land where Tazuna, Sasuke, and Sakura stood. Naruto, who was walking on the water, found it difficult to stay on it due to its irregularity.
'He was able to create so many seals in just a few seconds, and he copied them perfectly,' Sasuke thought, amazed. 'What are they doing? Is that a ninjutsu?' Sakura couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing.
In the middle where the water dragons clashed now stood Zabuza and Kakashi, with sword and kunai in hand, respectively. They struggled as water poured over them like rain.
'Something's not right, what's happening?' Zabuza felt uneasy fighting Kakashi. Both stepped back at the same time. 'He...' Zabuza started running in circles around Kakashi, who did the same in the opposite direction. Zabuza stopped, made a hand seal, and raised his other hand at the same time as Kakashi. 'My movements... it's as if he knows...' Zabuza lowered his hand, frowning.
"What I'm going to do next," Kakashi suddenly said.
'What? Did he read my mind?' Zabuza's eyes widened, his gaze fixed on Kakashi's Sharingan, which emanated a soft and reliable tranquility. 'Damn it! He's looking at me with that eye!' Zabuza made a hand seal.
"And it enrages you, doesn't it?" Kakashi instantly imitated him.
"Heh... all you do is copy me."
"You can't defeat me, clown!" Kakashi finished the sentence simultaneously with Zabuza, who opened his eyes wide, his pupils dilated.
"Damn it! When I'm done, you'll never open your mouth again!" Zabuza made several hand seals but suddenly stopped, realizing something. 'That... is me... me?' Zabuza could see himself reflected in Kakashi, who imitated his hand seals. 'That's... not possible! Is this one of his Genjutsu?'
"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu." Kakashi finished the hand seals.
"What?!" Zabuza shouted, surprised. 'Impossible! I was the one doing that jutsu.' Zabuza thought before being struck by a giant water vortex that surged from Kakashi. 'But I couldn't finish.' The force of the vortex drove Zabuza to the ground and slammed him into a tree. Four kunai shot towards him and embedded themselves in his legs and arms.
"You're finished," Kakashi spoke, crouching on the top of the tree branch against which Zabuza was pinned.
"How? Can you see the future?" Zabuza questioned, confused.
"Yes. And you will die," Kakashi answered, his red eye fixed on Zabuza and a kunai in his hand.
Zabuza had no time to speak when two needles pierced his neck. Everyone was surprised, including Kakashi, who looked towards another tree where a masked figure stood.
"Heh... You're right, he's dead."
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Before I go I want to thank Robert and Michael for his support. Thank you very much.