Zabuza twisted with a speed that defied his bulky frame, bringing the massive Executioner's Blade around in a deadly arc, not to cut Kakashi, but to block. The kunai in Kakashi's hand met the flat of the sword with a deafening clang, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the air and making the water ripple at their feet.
"You're quick, Copy Ninja," Zabuza grunted, a predatory grin spreading across his face, visible even through the slit in his mask. "But quick isn't enough to beat me."
"We'll see about that," Kakashi replied, his visible eye narrow and focused. He disengaged, flipping back to create distance, landing lightly on the water's surface a dozen meters away.
The two men stared at each other, a silent battle of wills playing out across the mist-shrouded lake. This was no longer a battle of simple ninjutsu; it was a clash of elite shinobi, a dance of death where one misstep would be the last.
The three Genin could offer no real help, not in a battle this fast. Well, Sasuke was confident he could help Kakashi using the Uchiha clan's shurikenjutsu, but he was worried that it would make him a target.
Right now, the two Jōnin ignored them and were entirely focused on one another, which protected the Genin. If Zabuza thought he had to be careful around them, he would try to eliminate them so he could once more focus entirely on Kakashi.
Sasuke understood this. He knew that if he acted, it had to be at a decisive moment, something that would turn around the flow of battle.
So he just watched, watched as sparks flew every time Kakashi's kunai met Zabuza's sword.
Each clash sent waves across the lake and generated winds that further disturbed the overhanging mist as it slowly started to drift back down.
Even in those seemingly casual exchanges, the strength used wasn't something a Genin could compare to; each strike of that sword would be enough to knock someone weaker around.
Zabuza was the clear aggressor. He didn't give Kakashi a chance to rest, constantly pressing the attack, his blade a whirlwind of death.
Even though Kakashi was on the defensive, he was far from overwhelmed. He moved with a grace and precision that was almost artistic, his Sharingan eye glowing a faint, ominous red.
It was a mesmerizing and terrifying sight.
"They're... they're incredible," Sakura whispered, her voice filled with awe.
"Yeah," Naruto mumbled, "I didn't even know people could move that fast."
Sasuke didn't say anything. He wasn't at all shocked by what he was seeing. He had seen Aiko and Jōnin from the Hyūga clan spar, but still, it was an impressive fight, and he was able to learn a few things.
Mostly, because his own Sharingan was able to see everything in such incredible detail, seeing through everything, finding the essence in every move they made.
Thanks to this, he was able to see that Kakashi did, in fact, hold the overwhelming advantage because he had the Sharingan, which allowed him to easily follow Zabuza's rhythm.
In fact, he was slowly forcing Zabuza into his rhythm, and he didn't even seem to realize that he was getting led around.
Likely a slight genjutsu, Sasuke mused.
Then, in a move that was both sudden and expected, Zabuza leaped back, creating a significant distance between himself and Kakashi.
He landed on the water, the Executioner's Blade resting on his shoulder.
"I'm impressed, Kakashi," he said, his voice echoing across the water. "You're living up to your reputation. But let's see how you handle this."
He brought his hands together in a series of complex seals, a blur of motion that was too fast for Naruto and Sakura to follow, but that Sasuke's Sharingan caught with perfect clarity.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!" Zabuza roared.
The lake around him erupted, a massive volume of water defying gravity as it coalesced into the shape of a colossal dragon. The beast's scales shimmered, its eyes glowed with a malevolent light, and a deafening roar ripped through the air as the dragon opened its maw, revealing a vortex of swirling water within.
This was a B-rank ninjutsu, something that could easily kill a Genin.
For a moment, Sasuke saw Naruto and Sakura freeze again, but not from fear this time. It was from awe at the ninjutsu before them, a dragon made of pure water and chakra.
It was indeed impressive, but Sasuke couldn't help but feel something was wrong; there were far too many hand signs.
Who used forty-four of them for one B-rank ninjutsu?
It didn't fit the record he had seen of this particular ninjutsu in the Uchiha clan records.
Still, despite his doubts, Kakashi also unleashed the very same ninjutsu, and he did so at the exact same time that Zabuza did.
The result was two dragons made of water, one from Zabuza and one from Kakashi, which met each other head-on, resulting in a massive explosion of water as they canceled each other out.
"Wha... how did he do that? He used the same ninjutsu at the same time!" Naruto shouted, not able to believe what he had just seen.
He wasn't the only one shocked; Zabuza was even more taken aback by what he was seeing. It had been a long time since he had last faced someone with the Sharingan, but he really felt like Kakashi was seeing the future, knowing his every move before he made it.
And it wasn't just seeing the future. It was as if Kakashi had known the ninjutsu all along, even if he had just seen it once.
Tch, the Sharingan, what a terrifying bloodline, Zabuza cursed in his head. But no matter, I will break it.
Kakashi, however, wasn't going to give Zabuza any opening at all. He used the confusion after the clash to get close to the Demon of the Mist.
"Too slow," Kakashi said as he landed behind Zabuza, a kunai at the ready.
The only thing Zabuza could do was block, and block he did, with the flat side of his sword.
The clash created an even larger wave, making the mist disperse even more, but Zabuza didn't mind as he saw the opening he wanted.
"What's wrong, Kakashi? Are you going to copy me all day?" Zabuza taunted. "Or are you going to show me something of your own?"
His words were a distraction. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the Executioner's Blade flying toward Kakashi, who was forced to jump back to avoid it.
But that was a mistake, as Zabuza used the opening to get behind Kakashi and attacked with a swift kick.
Sure, for a samurai, throwing away their sword was nothing short of foolish, but Zabuza wasn't a samurai; he was a shinobi, and his sword was only part of his strength. If throwing it away gave him an opening, he wouldn't hesitate.
It wasn't like he couldn't get it back after the fight.
The kick connected, a truly devastating blow that would hurt and give Zabuza the opening he needed to finish this.
Yet the expected result failed to materialize.
Instead, Kakashi exploded into a shower of water.
A water clone.
He had used the clone to trick him into revealing his opening and throwing his sword away.
"Damn you!" Zabuza cursed as he realized he had been tricked.
But it was too late. As he was distracted, the real Kakashi appeared behind him, his Sharingan eye glowing with a menacing light.
"This is the end of the line for you, Zabuza," Kakashi said, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.
Zabuza's blood ran cold as he realized that Kakashi had been one step ahead of him the entire fight, and now he had him right where he wanted him.
Lightning exploded from Kakashi's hand, and the sound of a thousand birds filled the air. "You wanted to see some of my own? Then take this! Lightning Release: Chidori!"
Zabuza's eyes widened in horror as he saw the spear of lightning heading straight for him. He knew he wouldn't be able to dodge it in time, and he didn't have a weapon to block it with.
But at the last moment, two needles flew through the air, one piercing Zabuza's neck, killing him almost instantly.
Seeing the unexpected attack, Kakashi had no choice but to cancel his Chidori and jump back while raising his guard.
He didn't know who the new attacker was, but he had to be ready for anything.
The attack ended as quickly as it began.
With a dull thud, Zabuza's body fell into the lake, the water around him turning red with his blood. The Executioner's Blade, now free of its master, drifted aimlessly on the surface.
A young boy, no older than they were, dressed in the attire of a Hidden Mist hunter-nin, stood on a nearby tree branch. His face was hidden behind a white mask with green and red stripes, and he carried a small case on his back.
"I've been tracking him for a while now," the boy said, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Thank you for weakening him for me. It made my job easier."
He then jumped down and checked Zabuza's body before turning to face Kakas
hi.
"My duty as a member of the Hidden Mist hunter-nin is to dispose of missing-nin and their bodies, to prevent any of our village's secrets, including our unique jutsu, from falling into the wrong hands."
"Thank you for your help," Kakashi said, still on guard, but the boy's explanation was plausible.
Still, it wasn't the complete truth, but Kakashi didn't care enough to press the issue.
"I must take my leave now," the boy said, as he picked up Zabuza's body and his sword before disappearing with the Body Flicker Technique.
The fight ended rather anticlimactically. But Kakashi felt the strain; using the Sharingan for that long, as well as multiple ninjutsu, including Chidori, had really drained him. He was, in truth, in no state to continue the fight.
So, despite wanting to bring Zabuza's body back to Konoha along with one of the Seven Legendary Ninja Swords, he let this hunter steal the credit, simply because he couldn't afford another fight right now.
He quickly covered the Sharingan and went over to his students. "Is everyone alright?" he asked, as he collapsed to one knee, the strain of the fight finally catching up to him.
Naruto and Sakura ran over to him, their faces filled with worry.
"Kakashi-sensei, you're hurt!" Sakura exclaimed.
Sasuke just stood there, a thoughtful expression on his face. He had seen everything, the fight, the needles, the hunter-nin. And something didn't add up.
The hunter-nin's needles hadn't hit any truly vital points. They had hit Zabuza in the neck, but not in a spot that would kill him instantly. It would likely still kill him, but he couldn't understand why the hunter-nin hadn't thrown a few more, just to be sure.
And the way the hunter-nin had taken Zabuza's body, it was too... neat. Too clean.
He didn't dispose of the body on the spot. That could be because he was worried they might want the sword, so he gave them no chance to say anything.
But another possibility was that Zabuza wasn't dead, that this wasn't a hunter-nin, but an accomplice, and this might all be a trick to save Zabuza.
A cold chill ran down his spine. Could it be? Or am I overthinking it? he wondered.
He looked over at Kakashi, who was clearly exhausted. "Sensei," he said, his voice low and serious.
Kakashi looked up at him. "What is it, Sasuke?"
"I think that wasn't a real hunter-nin," Sasuke said, sharing his suspicion.
"What? What do you mean?" Naruto asked, confused.
"The needles," Sasuke explained. "They hit Zabuza in the neck, but not in a vital spot. A real hunter-nin would have been more precise."
"And the way he took Zabuza's body, it was too clean, too professional. It was almost... rehearsed."
Kakashi looked at him, a thoughtful expression on his face. He hadn't noticed that, but then again, he had been a bit distracted by the Chidori.
But now that Sasuke mentioned it, it did seem a bit odd.
"I'll keep that in mind," he said, as he finally got to his feet. "But for now, we need to get Tazuna-san to safety. We can deal with Zabuza and his friend later."
Tazuna, who had been standing there, silent and stunned, finally spoke up. "Come, my house isn't far from here. You can rest there."
Kakashi nodded. "Alright, lead the way."
(End of chapter)
Support me at patreon.com/unknownfate - for the opportunity to read up to 30 chapters ahead.