"Mr. Tazuna, we need to talk."
The moment Kakashi said those words, Tazuna became nervous.
His eyes shifted for a second, and then he quickly raised his voice, trying to change the subject.
"Why did you leave the genin like that?!" Tazuna yelled. "They could have died!"
Kakashi slowed his steps and turned toward him. His single visible eye narrowed slightly.
"I wanted to know who they were after," Kakashi said calmly. "Were they after us, the ninja? Or were they after you, the bridge builder?"
Tazuna froze.
His eyes fell to the ground, and for a moment, he couldn't say anything.
"I... I lied," he finally admitted, his voice dropping. "There are powerful people after me."
Sakura's eyes widened.
"But you're just a bridge builder! Why would anyone be after you?"
Kakashi's expression turned serious.
"This mission is beyond what we were told. It should be raised to B-rank, possibly even A-rank. You may have your reasons, but lying to us is not acceptable. We're leaving the mission."
Tazuna's shoulders sank.
The strength in his face disappeared, replaced by despair.
"Then I'm as good as dead," he muttered. "They'll kill me."
He lowered his head for a second, then continued in a weak voice.
"It's fine. You guys can leave. I have a grandson and a daughter. My grandson will cry, 'Grandpa! Where are you, Grandpa?'"
Then, without warning, Tazuna began crying with a childish expression.
"Wuuuuuu!"
He wiped his face and kept going.
"And my daughter will curse you for abandoning me and causing my death. But it's fine. You guys go ahead. Leave me here and save yourselves."
The faces of Team 7 turned uneasy.
Even Kakashi's calm expression cracked a little. His lips curled into a forced smile as he scratched the back of his head.
"Well..." Kakashi sighed. "I suppose we can't just abandon you now. We'll continue the mission, at least until we escort you to your house."
Relief immediately appeared on Tazuna's face.
He said nothing, but inside, he was celebrating.
'I won.'
The group continued forward.
As they entered deeper into the forest, the path slowly became darker. The trees stood closer together, blocking much of the light, and the air began to feel colder.
Then mist started to spread around them.
At first, it was thin.
Then it slowly became thicker with every step.
Kakashi's eye sharpened.
"This mist..." he murmured. "It's not natural."
His senses went on alert.
A moment later, his voice turned serious.
"Be careful, guys. We're going to be attacked."
Suddenly, a massive sword came spinning through the mist.
Kakashi shouted, "Get down!"
Everyone dropped just in time.
The huge blade sliced through the air above them and slammed into a nearby tree. The force behind it made Sakura and Tazuna shiver.
Then a man appeared on top of the blade's hilt.
He was tall and muscular, with the lower half of his face covered by a mask. His presence alone felt heavy, like the air around him had turned sharp.
Naruto looked up at him with a straight face.
"You are... Zabuza Momochi. Rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist. Former head of the Assassination Corps. Known as the Demon of the Hidden Mist."
Zabuza chuckled.
"It seems I'm quite famous if even brats know my name."
Sakura glanced at Naruto, her voice shaking a little.
"You know who he is?"
"Of course," Naruto said. "I read his information in the bingo book."
"Then why didn't you recognize the other two who attacked us?" Sakura asked.
Naruto shrugged.
"I don't bother remembering every rogue ninja. I only look up the famous ones."
Kakashi gave Sakura and Sasuke a quick side glance.
"You two should start reading the bingo book too. It may save your lives someday."
Then his attention returned to Zabuza.
His tone became serious.
"This guy is an elite ninja, on a completely different level from you three. To fight him, I'll need this."
Kakashi raised his hand and pulled up his headband, revealing a crimson Sharingan eye.
"Manji formation!" Kakashi ordered. "When I fight, protect the bridge builder!"
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura immediately moved into position, forming a protective triangle around Tazuna.
Zabuza smirked.
"Kakashi Hatake of the Sharingan eye. Known far and wide as the Copy Ninja, the man who copied a thousand jutsu. I'm honored to face you."
Sasuke stiffened when he heard that.
His eyes locked onto Kakashi's left eye.
'The Sharingan belongs to the Uchiha...'
Kakashi noticed Sasuke's reaction, but he did not take his eyes off Zabuza.
"I'll explain everything later. Right now, focus on protecting the bridge builder."
The mist thickened around them.
Kakashi stood before Zabuza, his Sharingan fixed on the enemy.
Zabuza remained on the blade, his killing intent spreading through the air.
With that, the two elite shinobi stepped into a life-or-death battle.
(To Be Continued...)
...
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