Training went on smoothly from there on for Team 7. Kakashi took care of the boys, teaching them the prized techniques which later would become the staple of the entire series, while Sukuna trained the girls.
The time given to them by no means was enough to learn A-rank techniques. Even a Jonin would take months to have those techniques down, let alone freshly made Genin.
However, these Genin were different; they were trained by Sukuna from a very young age. They were already a cut above the rest.
Even Kakashi was surprised at how quickly they were picking things up. It was almost baffling.
And then finally, the day everyone had been waiting for arrived. The air around the bridge was heavy with tension as Team 7 stood ready.
The half-built bridge stretched across the misty sea, wooden planks creaking under their feet.
"Seems like we'll be having some uninvited guests."
Even Sukuna was there, leaning casually against a wooden post with his arms crossed. His eyes, however, told a different story. Behind his glasses, he was looking straight into the thick mist like he was able to see through it.
Being able to sense negative emotion, he was able to determine the enemies' location. However, he didn't care about them; his team had been working hard. They should handle Zabuza's team.
No, what really interested him was the faint negative signature hidden behind that mist. It was huge, strong, and told him that this guy was trouble.
So, perhaps this time around, he couldn't just fool around—he might have to take this one seriously.
A chill wind swept through, and suddenly, the mist around the bridge began to thicken. The air turned cold, damp, and heavy.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "They're here."
"Bring it on, I've been waiting for this!" Naruto shouted, ready to see the fruit of his training.
Sasuke, beside him just like usual, didn't say anything; however, his reaction was very similar to Naruto's.
This time, he vowed to win.
The mist swirled, and out of it came four familiar silhouettes.
Zabuza, the blue-haired water boy—Hozuki, was it? The one Sukuna K.O.'d in one punch. The boy who fought Sasuke—the bone guy. And lastly, the masked shinobi who used ice.
"Well, well," Zabuza said, his deep voice echoing through the fog. "Seems like the brats didn't run away after all."
"Strange, last I remember it was you guys who ran away." Kakashi was behind in smack talk. Winning and fighting were one thing; however, one must talk down to their enemies—shinobi code 102...
First is to kill your enemy.
A vein popped on Zabuza's forehead. Irritated, but he didn't deny it.
"This time it won't be the same, Kakashi. That pink-haired brat won't come to save your ass this time," Zabuza snorted.
The said pink-haired brat was mostly ignoring them. For Sukuna, this wasn't his fight at all. He just waved his hand in dismissal when Zabuza pointed his sword at him, uninterested.
"Don't worry, if being a Jonin I make the same mistake again after being saved by my cute little Genin, then I don't deserve to be a shinobi." Kakashi gave a cool one-liner.
Naruto smirked. "Yes... you tell them, Kakashi-sensei! You guys think we'd be scared of you after all that training? Bring it on!"
Suigetsu laughed. "Oh, said the brat who couldn't even touch me last time. Let's see what you got this time."
Karin stepped forward, glaring at him. "Not him. I'll be your opponent today."
Suigetsu's grin widened. "Oh, couldn't handle me, so you bring your girlfriend to fight me. What a disgrace..."
"I'm not his Girlfriend! Baka!"
"No way! I only like Sakura-chan! Who'd like this tomato?"
Both shouted out together, already making faces at each other.
"Oi, what did you call me?" Karin snapped almost immediately when she registered what Naruto called her.
"Ah, nothing, nothing..."
Kakashi's one visible eye, which had been glaring down at Zabuza until now, twitched. 'Teaching these kids those A-rank jutsu wouldn't be a mistake, would it?'
He was honestly worried they'd punch each other to death—or Chidori each other just because one stole another's ice cream...
Sasuke's eyes darted toward Haku. "I'll be your opponent today."
Haku bowed slightly. "It seems you have given it some thought..."
Haku could tell that the pairing was intentional. They must have arranged the fights in a way that gave them some advantage.
Sasuke activated his Sharingan, his eyes spinning red. "You'll find out soon enough."
Kimimaro looked at Naruto and Sakura, who were already making their way toward him, his tone calm and polite. "You two will be my opponents, then?"
Naruto clenched his fists. "That's right! And this time, I'm not gonna lose!"
Sakura nodded, her expression firm. "Same here."
Zabuza's gaze shifted toward Kakashi. "And as for you… our fight isn't over."
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. "No, it isn't."
However, even when entering into a hard fight, he didn't immediately lift his forehead protector. Zabuza thought Kakashi was looking down on him.
The mist thickened again, swirling around them like a living thing. The battle lines were drawn.
Karin turned to Sukuna, who was still leaning against the bridge's railing, watching everything quietly. "Aren't you going to do anything?"
Sukuna smirked faintly. "Why would I? This is your fight. Let's see if all that screaming during training was worth it."
Naruto puffed out his chest. "You just watch, old man! I'll show you how strong I've gotten!"
"Old man?" Sukuna muttered, a vein twitching on his forehead.
'I do call them brats sometimes, but calling a boy only months older than him an old man…' Sukuna swore that after the fight, he'd have a 'talk' with Naruto about respecting his seniors.
Then, as if on cue, everything exploded into motion.
Zabuza rushed at Kakashi, his massive sword cutting through the air. Kakashi met him head-on, kunai clashing against steel. The impact sent a shockwave through the bridge, scattering dust and debris.
Haku vanished instantly, disappearing into a flash of mirrors that appeared around Sasuke. The Uchiha moved fast, dodging senbons that flew at him from every direction. "I see why both Sakura and Karin had trouble fighting you," Sasuke growled.
"I too understand why you decided to face me this time," Haku's voice echoed from the mirrors.
"It's your eyes, isn't it?"
Sasuke smirked. "Who knows?"
A few meters away, Suigetsu charged at Karin, his sword swinging in wide arcs. Karin avoided his attacks gracefully, her movements sharp and precise. "You're all strength and no brains," she taunted.
"Strength is all I need," Suigetsu said, forming his body into liquid to dodge her counterattack.
"Then let's see how well that works when I find your limit," she replied, her chakra flaring.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sakura faced Kimimaro. The boy with pale skin and cold eyes watched them with quiet focus before summoning bone blades from his hands.
Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Bones, just like Sasuke-kun told us."
Naruto grinned, pulling out a kunai. "Sasuke-teme almost lost to this guy, didn't he? Meaning if I win against him, then I'll be stronger than that bastard!" He was already giddy inside.
"Focus, Naruto." Sakura rolled her eyes.
Kimimaro dashed forward, his movements precise and deadly. Naruto barely dodged the first strike while Sakura threw shuriken from behind, forcing him to block.
"Not bad," Kimimaro said calmly. "But you'll need more than that."
Naruto smirked. "Good! I was hoping you'd say that!" He made a hand sign, and a dozen clones appeared beside him, charging all at once.
Kakashi and Zabuza's blades met again and again, sparks flying. Sasuke's Sharingan glowed bright red within the mirrors. Karin's chakra burned through the mist like fire. Naruto's clones shouted in unison.
Sukuna watched all of it silently. The mist, the shouts, the clash of metal and chakra—it was chaos, but a kind of chaos he enjoyed watching.
However, his real attention was still on the figure hiding behind the mist. That was a troublesome guy, he could tell.
xxx
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