Alice will be Arisu from here in out. It irked me that her name was in English when nobody else's was, so I'll just permanently change it to her Manga version. ( ´∀｀ )b
---
"Saeko, I'll leave this guy to you!" Since the opponent had clearly declared himself an enemy, Son Goku didn't waste words on formalities.
Saeko, who had been helping Arisu and the others build their snowman, immediately brightened. "An opponent? How should I handle him?"
"Kill him." Goku's reply was simple and final. With a casual wave of his hand, an ancient-looking katana flew through the air. Saeko caught it smoothly by the hilt and stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Zabuza. "Since you are an enemy, please make your move."
The other women stopped their play and gathered at Goku's side, their expressions a mix of curiosity and quiet support for Saeko.
"To send a woman as my opponent… you will regret your foolishness," Zabuza scoffed. Though his tone was dismissive, his expression was deathly serious. One look at Saeko's poised, martial bearing told him she was no ordinary civilian.
"Underestimating me because I'm a woman will cost you your life," Saeko retorted, her blade already leaving its scabbard. She was impatient to begin; it had been too long since her last real fight, and her blood was thrumming with anticipation.
With a contemptuous grunt, Zabuza unstrapped the massive Kubikiribōchō from his back and swung it in a wide, horizontal arc. Saeko leaped into the air, her katana aimed precisely at his face—a lethal, head-targeting thrust honed from years of fighting the undead.
An amateur, Zabuza thought derisively. Doesn't she know a target in mid-air has no leverage to dodge? His greatsword reversed its momentum, cleaving downward toward her suspended form. "Let's see you avoid this!" A smirk touched his lips.
Saeko's response shattered his assumptions. With no visible point to push against, her body twisted in mid-air, evading the crushing blow. Then, her speed increased. She shot toward him as if propelled, her sword flashing toward the wrist of his sword hand.
Forced to release his grip on the Kubikiribōchō, Zabuza's left hand blurred. A kunai appeared, intercepting Saeko's strike with a shower of sparks. He used the impact to leap back over ten meters, landing in a crouch. He frowned, staring at Saeko, who now hovered effortlessly in the air. "I did underestimate you. You can fly."
"That's not all I can do." As she spoke, a surge of blue chakra enveloped the blade of her katana. "Now, I'll get serious. Don't disappoint me." She swung. A crescent of razor-sharp, chakra-forged energy blasted toward Zabuza.
"It seems I'm the one being underestimated!" Zabuza's hands flew through a sequence of seals. "Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu!"
Thick, white mist erupted from the ground and the nearby river, swallowing the bridge and the surrounding area in moments. Zabuza vanished completely from sight.
"Ugh, the fog is so thick! I hate it, I can't see anything!" Arisu complained, pouting. The other women, however, merely turned their heads slightly, their lips curving into knowing smiles as they focused on a specific point within the swirling gray.
"A cheap trick. Do you think hiding your sound and scent in this mist means I can't see you?" Saeko's voice held pure disdain. Her form flickered, disappearing into the heart of the fog.
"ARGH—!" A moment later, Zabuza's pained cry echoed from within the mist. "You… you found me? Are you a sensor-type?"
Saeko's silhouette became faintly visible as the mist swirled around her. A long, bleeding gash now marred Zabuza's chest. "I am not a ninja. I am a swordswoman. And everyone possesses ki. In this fog, your ki is like a beacon in the dark. There is no hiding. So, discard these underhanded tactics and fight me properly!" Her tone was tinged with disappointment. She had hoped for a worthy challenge, but her opponent seemed reliant on deception.
Zabuza's mind raced. His signature Silent Killing technique was utterly useless. The situation is bad. I need to find an opening to retreat. I won't throw my life away over a mere tool. He glanced past Saeko toward the group watching calmly from the edge of the mist. If one woman was this troublesome, what about the dozen others? Escape was paramount.
His hands formed another rapid set of seals. "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" A roaring dragon of water coalesced from the mist and river, surging toward Saeko with terrifying force.
The technique was powerful, but its target could fly. Saeko ascended gracefully, the water dragon passing harmlessly beneath her. "You want to play with ninjutsu? Fine. I recently learned a few myself." Her own hands moved through seals. "Fūton: Daitoppa!"
A gale-force wind erupted from around her, howling through the bridge and shredding the thick mist into tatters, clearing the air in an instant.
"Yay! The fog's gone! We can watch again!" Arisu cheered, clapping. But then she pointed. "Ah! Saeko-nee, he's running away! Get him!"
"Hmph. You think you can flee? Goku gave an order." Saeko shot forward like an arrow, closing the distance to Zabuza in a blink. Her katana became a blur, sending slashes of concentrated chakra cutting through the air toward his retreating back.
"Tch! Can't even make a clean getaway? Fine… I'll fight for my life, then!" Seeing escape was impossible, Zabuza skidded to a halt. All pretense dropped, replaced by the cold, ruthless killing intent of the Demon of the Hidden Mist.
"Given up on running? Then fight me properly!" Saeko landed lightly, halting her ranged attacks.
A grim smile touched Zabuza's lips. Without a word, he drew a handful of shuriken and flung them at her, using the distraction to close in.
"Good!" Saeko met his charge, her blade a silver streak aiming for his heart. Just as they were about to clash, her footwork shifted impossibly. Using her mastery of Bukūjutsu, she altered her momentum mid-stride, her body spinning like a top. Her sword style transformed—becoming fluid, deceptive, and blindingly fast, like a butterfly dancing among flowers.
Zabuza was forced into a desperate, stumbling retreat. Cuts appeared on his arms, his legs, his torso. Yet he seemed indifferent to the pain, his eyes locked not on Saeko's body, but on the path of her blade. He defended grimly, waiting, watching for the single, inevitable flaw in her relentless assault.
The opening came as Saeko committed to a powerful, decisive thrust aimed at his heart. Zabuza's eyes gleamed. He twisted his torso at the last possible millisecond—and instead of blocking, his left hand shot out, aiming to grasp the very blade of her katana with his bare hand.
---
ChubbyChaebol here! Why do they call them 'cook~ies' and 'ba~con', when you bake cookies and cook bacon? The world may never know. (´ー｀)