Chapter 159 – The Wilderness Survival Master, Maruboshi Gōsuke (3)
Inside the Valley
The six-man Konoha team was still en route to the valley.
Meanwhile, tensions in the valley were rising as the Kirigakure and Kumogakure ninja struggled to restrain their growing urge to fight.
Both villages were coastal—Mist shinobi had grown up on islands, and Cloud shinobi had lived along the sea. Naturally, both understood the strategic importance of this valley.
Whoever took the valley would most likely be the ones to survive until the end of the exam.
Just as things were about to explode, one figure made the first move.
The largest and most fearsome of the Mist Genin, the one unanimously acknowledged as their leader—Momochi Zabuza—had no interest in prolonging the standoff.
Gripping his massive blade tightly, he eyed the Cloud-nin with bloodthirsty hunger.
"Cloud trash, I'll give you two choices," he growled.
"Either run while you still can… or stay here forever."
Speaking as he walked from the back of the Mist formation to the front, Zabuza's path was immediately cleared by his comrades.
The towering youth stepped forward under their reverent gazes, his massive body swaying with menace.
For this joint exam, all four major villages had shared intelligence—complete with detailed profiles on their "seed" participants.
Zabuza, the Demon, had been marked as Kirigakure's strongest new-generation Genin: known for his cruelty, bloodlust, and habit of tearing his targets apart during missions.
A certified monster.
But if he thought his intimidation would work on Cloud-nin, he was mistaken.
Raised on the principle that all problems can be solved with fists, the Cloud shinobi were far from cowed. Instead, they were irritated by Zabuza's arrogance.
Eager to shut him up, many began cracking their knuckles, itching for a fight.
Just then, a lazy voice drifted up from the rear of the Cloud ranks:
"Ugh, what a pain… But if you wanna fight, then let's fight."
Zabuza's eyes narrowed, intrigued, as he looked toward the speaker.
"Looks like we've got a decent opponent. Could be on my level…" he thought, taking note of the other boy's appearance.
The tall figure stepped forward. Dark-skinned, white short hair, thick lips, and a long fringe covering his left eye—it was none other than Darui, the seed ninja of the Cloud Village and wielder of the Storm Release Kekkei Genkai.
Like Zabuza, Darui's strength far exceeded Genin standards. In fact, if not for waiting to participate in the Chūnin Exams, he might already be a Jōnin candidate.
Zabuza recognized him immediately.
He had the habit of jotting down the names of troublesome enemies in a personal notebook, and Darui—who had once soloed an A-rank mission—was one of them.
Though bloodthirsty, Zabuza wasn't arrogant. He knew he didn't have a clear advantage in this match.
And with other villages still lurking, a head-on clash could leave them vulnerable to third-party attacks.
Still, he couldn't back down—not after his earlier declaration.
He was Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist.
And surrendering this valley would only lead to Cloud turning on them once Konoha was eliminated.
Now facing Darui, the two locked eyes.
Unlike the savage Zabuza, Darui wore a lazy expression—like a sleepy teenager, totally unfazed.
But that nonchalant attitude only stoked Zabuza's fury.
"Does he think I'm beneath him?" Zabuza wondered, his anger boiling over.
True to his Mist-nin nature, Zabuza wouldn't back down. Fueled by rage, he prepared to strike.
"Looks like you've chosen death," he snarled. "Then stay here forever!"
Before he finished speaking, Zabuza swung his massive blade down at Darui.
That strike was the signal.
The Mist-nin surged forward, clashing with the Cloud-nin in a full-scale melee.
Water Style: Water Formation Wall!
Darui leapt backward to dodge Zabuza's slash. Forming hand seals, he inhaled deeply and expelled a torrent of water from his mouth.
Though typically a defensive jutsu, in Darui's hands, the Water Formation Wall surged forward like a waterfall.
Zabuza, caught off guard, was blasted away.
The torrent of water altered the landscape of the valley, turning the sunken terrain into a newly formed lake.
Those Mist-nin who hadn't been hit directly now stood atop the water using chakra—but even they were stunned by the sheer force of Darui's Water Release.
Still, no one believed Zabuza had been defeated so easily.
He wasn't known as the Demon just for being vicious.
And sure enough, just seconds later, Zabuza reappeared underwater—swimming toward Darui like a shark.
Lightning Style: Gratitude Wave!
Before Zabuza could reach him, Darui once again formed seals and spat out a streak of lightning.
The bolt hit the water and instantly spread, shocking everyone standing on the lake.
The Cloud-nin had anticipated this move and leapt onto nearby rocks beforehand.
The Mist-nin weren't so lucky.
Most were electrocuted, flailing helplessly before sinking beneath the surface—only a few, who had remained on the rocks, were spared.
Darui stared at the now-quiet lake, a bored look on his face.
"I thought Zabuza the Demon would be tougher," he muttered. "But he went down just like that."
"How does a third-rate punk like that even earn a nickname?"
He turned to the remaining Mist-nin, who stood frozen with fear.
With a shrug, Darui raised his hands and said lazily:
"Sorry, guess I went a little too hard."
"You guys can leave. I really don't feel like finishing this—too boring."
Despite their rage, the remaining Mist-nin were overwhelmed by fear.
Even the infamous Zabuza had died so easily.
What chance did they have?
Reluctantly, they glanced at each other and vanished into the forest with a flurry of shunshin.
---
Meanwhile, two other groups were closing in on the valley...
Elsewhere on the Island – Suna-nin Camp
Raised in the desert, unfamiliar with island terrain, the Suna-nin were struggling.
One Genin, his face swollen from bug bites, whined:
"Maki-sama, are we lost again? Another teammate's been poisoned... At this rate, we'll all be bug food before we starve or dehydrate."
Maki's expression was grim.
All of his desert-honed survival skills had failed here. The humidity alone was torture.
Ever since arriving in Kirigakure, their team had broken out in rashes, allergic reactions, and gastrointestinal issues. Even worse, weakened immune systems meant some were poisoned by simple bug bites.
To make matters worse, the sky darkened overhead—rain was coming.
If they didn't find shelter soon, his entire team might die from exposure before facing a single enemy.
Suddenly, the ground trembled faintly.
Maki turned to the team's sensor-nin. "What's going on?"
The shinobi focused briefly before replying:
"Maki-sama, I'm sensing a large amount of chakra ahead. It's a ninja battle."
Heaven hasn't abandoned us yet! Maki's eyes lit up.
But then doubt crept in.
Aside from Suna, only three other villages were on the island—and the only enemy was Konoha.
If a battle of this magnitude was taking place, it had to be a clash between one of the villages and the Konoha team.
Before arriving, the four villages had pledged to ally against Konoha.
Logically, they should assist. Maybe Mist or Cloud would help them in return.
But Maki wasn't naive. Once Konoha was dealt with, alliances would crumble. The limited resources meant competition was inevitable.
Still, Maki had no other choice. If they didn't act soon, his team would be wiped out by the environment before any battle even began.
So he turned to his troops:
"Let's go! Full speed ahead—we'll support our allies."
And with that, the Suna-nin charged toward the valley.
Little did they know what awaited them ahead...
---
Aboard the Patrol Ship
Kazane lounged in a deck chair, sunbathing and sipping juice like a man on vacation.
But in reality, he was fully focused—his Observation Haki extended across the entire island.
Everything that had transpired in the past few hours… was within his awareness.
Kazane hadn't expected this outcome.
Before Jiriku and the others could even act, Cloud had already wiped out Mist.
So much for that fragile alliance—didn't even last two days.
He chuckled, glancing at Yagura, who sat nearby.
Kazane was certain that Yagura had no idea that his own village's shinobi had been eliminated—by their own allies.
In fact, he now hoped Jiriku's group would spare a few Mist-nin, so they could report back and tell the Kage what had really happened.
Sensing Kazane's odd gaze, Yagura turned his head—only to meet Kazane's subtle smirk.
A chill ran down Yagura's spine as he quickly looked away.
But then he remembered—he was now the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki. His strength was far beyond what it once was.
Flushing with embarrassment, Yagura glared back defiantly.
But Kazane simply raised his glass with a toast-like gesture, took a sip, and said nothing.
"Hah… Let's see if you're still that spirited in seven days."
Meanwhile, chaos was once again unfolding on the island…