The thought was an insult. Use me to educate children who have just left the village?
Zabuza Momochi was a master assassin, a name synonymous with merciless efficiency in the Bingo Book. He grudgingly admitted these Konoha brats possessed unusual talent, but he was a seasoned killer. No amount of raw talent could compensate for their total lack of killing intent or survival experience.
Yet, as he looked at the children—Sasuke poised like a coiled spring, and Naruto brimming with unrestrained, aggressive energy—he felt a professional unease. Retreat wasn't yet an option; capturing even one of these 'monsters' could be leveraged against their contractor to complete the assassination mission.
"Sasuke, Naruto, I am merely supervising this time. Your teamwork is the test." Kakashi reached into his pouch and tossed a small, perfectly spherical pill toward the towering blond. "Consume this."
"What is it?" Naruto caught the pill, looking at the condensed, savory meatball curiously before swallowing it without hesitation.
A gasp escaped his lips. "Oh! Oh, wow!"
Naruto's body began an incredible, rapid transformation visible to the naked eye. His lean frame swelled with powerful, newly acquired muscle mass, his clothes instantly straining against his torso. He seemed to shoot up several inches, his limbs becoming thick and corded. A wave of raw, volcanic power surged through him.
The Power Pill. It was an item derived from one of Tsunade's Tier 2 Jars, designed to grant a substantial, though temporary, boost to strength and physical resilience with minimal physiological backlash. It was the only way for Naruto to match Sasuke's enhanced baseline.
Zabuza's eye twitched. What is that demonic substance?
"A specialized military combat pill?" Zabuza regarded Naruto with increased suspicion. "The destructive effects on the body must be immense. Kakashi, has Konoha descended to such desperate tactics to train its Genin?"
"Do not concern yourself with the cost," Kakashi replied, his voice relaxed, though his visible eye narrowed slightly.
"Zabuza Momochi, your sphere of influence is too wide. Your history of regicide, your coup attempts against the Mizukage, and your profit-driven assassinations across the elemental nations—and now associating with a maggot like Gato—makes you far too dangerous to ignore."
This final statement, the one about the inherent danger, was deliberately aimed at the ears of his students. Kakashi was defining the true nature of their enemy: an existential threat unlike any they had faced. This was their baptism of fire.
Sasuke, the ever-composed rival, felt a jolt of pure, eager excitement. He raised his enhanced sword, the Qingfeng, which hummed with barely contained, icy-blue chakra.
"Excellent," he said, his lips curling into a predatory smile. "A subject like you is ideal for sharpening my blade. Your blood will serve as the first necessary step in my revenge."
He needed to prove the merit of the path the merchant had shown him, and the weapon he'd acquired. He had been humbled by Kakashi only yesterday, and now craved validation.
"Ha. Revenge," Zabuza sneered, the bandages shifting around his mouth. "Such a tiresome motive. Regardless of who is innocent or guilty, I fight for my own ideal of power, even if it demands the murder of a thousand people. You ought to realize that the life of a ninja is inherently a cold and selfish one."
His words were devoid of emotion, a stark, philosophical assault meant to shatter the children's naive beliefs. The sheer murderous intent radiating from his single eye was terrifying.
Sasuke absorbed the cruelty, internalizing it as a necessary evil. But Naruto, empowered and fueled by righteous fury, exploded.
"Ninjas are not what you say they are!" Naruto roared, swinging his reinforced fist. "A ninja can be a hero, as long as they defend their comrades and their village!"
His attack was still flawed—pure, unrestrained aggression lacking subtlety—but the sheer force and velocity generated by the Power Pill meant his physical stats were now easily at the level of a seasoned Jounin.
"Still an utterly naive child," Zabuza mocked. He easily vaulted upward, bringing the enormous Kubikiribōchō down with precision, intending to strike the flat of the blade against Naruto's neck and knock him unconscious.
But just as he brought the blade down, a voice hissed directly behind him.
"You're the child."
Sasuke, utilizing a complex, almost flowing footwork refined by his newfound knowledge, had silently executed a high-speed flanking maneuver, stabbing his sword at a lethal, exposed angle toward Zabuza's kidney.
Not good!
Zabuza had to commit completely to defense. He twisted his torso mid-air, a feat of immense strength, redirecting his greatsword to parry the deadly Qingfeng.
Clang!
The sharp, high-pitched metallic ring of the parry was immediately swallowed by the dull, explosive THUD of a body blow. Naruto's reinforced fist slammed into Zabuza's exposed jaw with the force of a battering ram.
Zabuza's consciousness reeled. The impact sent his massive body spinning three times in the air, the Kubikiribōchō flying from his grasp as he crashed hard onto the forest floor.
Naruto examined his fist, a childish pout of disappointment on his face. "No critical hit." The pill had worked, the teamwork had landed, but the golden flash of a true critical strike was absent. I feel like I missed a huge opportunity.
Zabuza scrambled to his feet, groaning as he spat out a mouthful of blood and splintered twigs. The physical damage was manageable, but his professional pride and tactical assessment were shattered.
"You two... you coordinated that attack," Zabuza realized, fixing his gaze on Sasuke.
Sasuke smirked, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Naruto's fighting technique is clumsy and full of openings, so naturally, I cover his flaws. Moreover, he has a terrifying knack for seizing an opening. Together, our combined power leaves you zero room for escape."
The admission of cooperation, delivered with such cold calculation, was perhaps more shocking to Zabuza than the physical attack itself.
A bright, cheerful voice broke the sudden tension. "Incredible! That's Sasuke for you!" Sakura squeaked, her eyes wide with admiration.
"Hey!" Naruto bristled, turning his head in annoyance. "I was the one who actually landed the punch!"
Whoosh!
The shadow of the greatsword, launched into the air during the impact, suddenly reappeared in Zabuza's hand. He lunged forward, exploiting Naruto's moment of distraction for a near-fatal counterattack.
"Distraction is death, idiot!" Sasuke roared. He intercepted Naruto with a swift, powerful kick, shoving him out of the sword's path, and simultaneously blocked the descending blade with the Qingfeng.
"Stop—stop talking down to me!" Naruto's face flushed scarlet with indignation, but Zabuza used the momentary clash to execute a skillful backward leap, putting distance between himself and the two enraged Genin.
"I must concede, the two of you have profoundly surprised me," Zabuza admitted, his voice now low and strained as he rested the greatsword on his shoulder. He glanced at Kakashi, who remained calmly guarding the target, Tazuna.
Zabuza was a pragmatist. The children possessed Jounin-level power and speed, and Kakashi was still a lethal wildcard. Even with Haku nearby, the mission's chance of success had dropped to near zero. He would not risk his long-term goals—or Haku's life—on a low-value target like Tazuna. He had to retreat and re-evaluate.
"Even if you want to abort the mission, we will not permit your escape," Sasuke declared, his blue sword held high, his voice chillingly absolute. "Those like you will inevitably find opportunities to hide and strike again. Therefore, unless you surrender, your only path leads to annihilation."
Sasuke felt an intense, exhilarating joy. This was the truth of the world the jars had shown him: The path of the sword demands conflict; constant advancement requires the blood of the strong. He wanted to finish the job.
Meanwhile, at a modest Konoha barbecue stall, Shen Mo was enjoying the afternoon with Tsunade.
"The grilled short-ribs here are far superior to the high-end cuts in the Land of Fire's capital," Tsunade remarked contentedly, sipping her sake.
Shen Mo, however, was focused on the internal feed provided by the remote viewing system. He watched Zabuza's final retreat, his movements rapid, efficient, and completely devoid of melodrama.
He turned to Tsunade, a look of profound surprise on his face. "I'm actually quite shocked by Zabuza's reaction."
He wasn't shocked by the combined strength of the children—that was expected from Pay-to-Win strategies. What stunned him was the speed and finality of Zabuza's professional decision-making.
Zabuza was not retreating out of fear or emotion; he was retreating because he had quickly and rationally assessed the financial cost of continuing the fight. High-value assets (himself and Haku) should not be risked on a low-value, already compromised contract (Tazuna).
The King's Way jar knowledge Danzo had absorbed, though not directly influencing Zabuza, was creating a ripple effect. It emphasized professional, clear-headed assessment over emotional commitment.
Shen Mo mused: He didn't scream, he didn't throw a tantrum, he didn't even use a single dramatic parting line.
Zabuza had simply looked at the numbers—two Jounin-level Genin, one elite Jounin, one support ninja, and zero chance of success—and executed a perfect tactical retreat to preserve his capital.
It was the most business-like retreat Shen Mo had ever witnessed from a major antagonist in the series.
"Shocked by Zabuza?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "He's nothing more than a dangerous thug. What is so surprising about a killer retreating when he's outmatched?"
"It's not that he retreated," Shen Mo explained, tapping his badge thoughtfully. "It's the way he retreated. No commitment, no grand speeches, just a swift, rational decision to cut his losses the moment the projected cost exceeded the potential profit."
"And that interests you, the businessman?"
"Yes," Shen Mo confirmed with a grin. "It shows that even ruthless assassins can be taught to understand the power of capital preservation. Now, I have a feeling about this Gato character—the man who hired Zabuza. A man who amasses vast wealth without understanding power is a walking vault begging to be cracked open. I think we should prepare a Tier 3 'Financial Liquidity' Jar for him. It's time to check the largest account in the Land of Waves."