"Pfft!"
The dull thud of flesh being pierced finally came. Facing Kakashi's ruthless follow-up thrust, Zabuza, who had been continuously disturbed and attacked, ultimately couldn't completely evade it.
However, Kakashi's kunai, despite the evasion, still didn't pierce his heart, but instead plunged into the area below his clavicle!
This time, what splattered out was no longer clear water, but warm, crimson blood! The intense pain made Zabuza's face twitch uncontrollably for a moment, his brows furrowing tightly.
No! He's injured, his movements will be affected! If he continues to fight like this, he might really fall here!
A strong sense of crisis instantly made Zabuza's heart filled with the intention to retreat.
He immediately endured the severe pain, trying to swing his long sword to force back the close-by Kakashi, while simultaneously gathering strength in his legs, preparing to instantly use the Body Flicker Technique to escape the battlefield.
However, just as he exerted his strength—
A powerful force suddenly tightened around his limbs and torso! Instantly binding him securely!
The next moment, he was violently yanked off the ground by this immense pulling force, flying backward uncontrollably, and finally, with a "bang," he was firmly tied to a thick tree nearby, unable to move!
Wires?!
Zabuza's face changed drastically! He suddenly realized—it was those shuriken that had strangely curved in the air and then pinned themselves to the trees!
Those shuriken were all wrapped with extremely thin Chakra threads! They hadn't missed their targets at all, but were a trap set up long ago!
He looked in the direction of this cunning attack's source with a mix of shock and anger—it was that kid who had been quiet in the back?!
Uchiha Satsuki, at some unknown point, had already activated her crimson Sharingan, locking onto him with a cold gaze.
Her hands deftly manipulated the threads, and she even held an extra thread in her mouth.
Just now, when that terrifying killing intent, accumulated from Zabuza's countless life-and-death battles, spread out like a tangible presence, Satsuki truly felt the pressure of a Jonin-level opponent for the first time.
A huge fear, like ice water, drenched her entire body; her legs even trembled slightly uncontrollably. It was a suffocating feeling of not having control over her own life and death…
She was almost swallowed by this fear.
Until she clearly heard Zabuza's declaration, full of killing intent—"And that kid… no wonder you let him intervene in our battle. It seems he truly has the qualifications to be killed by this great me personally…"
He wants to kill Naruto!
This sentence instantly pierced through all the fear in Satsuki's heart! For her, the possibility of losing Naruto was far more terrifying than death itself!
That threat and the fear that followed, instead, in a resolute way, completely ignited all the courage and strength within her!
Absolutely… not!
To protect Naruto, she could overcome any fear.
"Damn it… don't think you can trap this great me with something like this!"
Zabuza, bound tightly to the tree trunk by the Chakra threads, roared, his muscles suddenly bulging. His brute strength erupted, and he actually tried to forcibly break the threads using pure physical power!
Seeing this, Satsuki immediately bit and secured most of the threads she was manipulating in her mouth. Her freed hands then began to form hand signs—Snake – Ram – Monkey – Boar – Horse – Tiger! It was the Uchiha Clan's most signature Fire Release!
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
The moment the hand signs were completed, scorching flames immediately spewed from Satsuki's mouth! But this flame rapidly spread along the Chakra threads wrapped around Zabuza! The transparent threads swiftly shot towards the trapped target, threatening to engulf Zabuza!
However, just as the flames spread halfway, right before they were about to touch Zabuza's body—
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Several extremely subtle but sharp whooshing sounds suddenly rang out! Several senbon, gleaming with cold light, shot out from the dense forest to the side, cutting the Chakra threads!
The threads snapped instantly! The flames that had been spreading along the threads also lost their support, abruptly stopping midway, then dissipating.
Not good! Is it Zabuza's reinforcements?! A warning bell rang loudly in Kakashi's heart!
The moment the threads fell off and Zabuza regained his freedom, Kakashi, without any hesitation, had already completed another hand sign! He took a deep breath, his chest swelling—
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A giant fireball, larger in scale and hotter in temperature than the one Satsuki had unleashed, spewed from Kakashi's mouth, directly blasting towards Zabuza, who had just broken free and was still unsteady on his feet!
Just as another scorching fireball was about to engulf Zabuza—a thick, solid ice wall suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of him!
"Boom!!!"
Kakashi's Great Fireball Technique slammed squarely against the ice wall. High temperature and solid ice collided violently, instantly producing a large amount of white steam, which spread out, further obscuring the already dense mist.
"Ice Release?!"
Kakashi's Sharingan clearly captured the rapidly melting ice wall. His heart jolted, and he immediately recognized this Bloodline Limit.
Amidst the spreading steam and thick fog, a slender figure wearing a Hidden Mist Anbu mask could be vaguely seen quickly supporting the heavily injured Zabuza. The next moment, their figures blurred as if merging into the mist instantly—
Body Flicker Technique!
When the white steam and the surrounding thick fog gradually dispersed, the spot where Zabuza had been was already empty, leaving only the still-dripping, rapidly melting ice wall, and a few drops of un-dried blood on the ground.
Zabuza Momochi and his mysterious helper had completely disappeared.
— — — — — —
After carefully confirming that Zabuza Momochi and his mysterious helper had indeed fled far away, Kakashi's tense nerves finally relaxed. He turned around, his gaze sweeping over his three subordinates.
He first acknowledged the performance of the other two main combatants. Then, he looked at Sakura, who had consistently held her position, affirming that Sakura had also done very well, always upholding her duty and protecting the client behind her.
Perhaps because Naruto and Satsuki provided strong assistance this time, sharing most of the pressure, Kakashi did not faint from Chakra exhaustion as he did in the original story, only feeling slightly fatigued.
On the way to Tazuna's house, in order to make the students fully understand the danger of their recent opponent, Kakashi gave the three a detailed introduction to Zabuza Momochi's background.
Zabuza Momochi, the rogue Jonin from Hidden Mist Village, nicknamed—'Demon of the Hidden Mist'.
He was renowned for his mastery of Silent Killing, an extremely dangerous opponent. His past, on the day he graduated, he alone killed all his classmates… This bloody incident directly led to a change in the Hidden Mist Village's cruel graduation policy.
After listening to Kakashi's narration, Sakura's face was filled with lingering fear. She had just been secretly annoyed that she couldn't directly participate in the battle, but now she truly realized that the enemy they faced was such a notorious and terrifying figure.
Satsuki's heart was also filled with solemnity. Although Naruto's displayed strength might have surpassed her own, the more this was the case, the stronger her protective instinct became.
Meanwhile, Naruto, while listening to Kakashi's introduction, was thinking about something entirely different.
Zabuza Momochi, and Haku. He was calculating what kind of persuasion he should use when he next recruits these two under Menma's guise…
Finally, the rest of the journey proceeded without any further incidents. The group safely arrived at the residence of Tazuna, his daughter, and his grandson.