"Naruto, this isn't a fight you can butt into. Get far away, now!"
Kakashi was genuinely anxious. Team Seven had been growing fast, but compared to the infamous rogue ninja Zabuza, they were still nowhere close.
"Got it, boss! A true ninja steals the butt and runs!" Naruto nodded. His arm muscles tensed as he thrust his kunai forward hard!
Zabuza's body instantly turned into river water. His real self flashed out of the thick mist behind Naruto, his massive blade cleaving toward them with a razor-cold gale!
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Zabuza felt the temperature spike behind him. In the instant he froze, Kakashi used Body Flicker to snatch Naruto away, making the slash miss, then sidestepped the fireball.
The rising heat scattered part of the chakra in the air. The Hidden Mist Jutsu began to wobble, on the verge of collapsing.
In the distance, Sasuke still had to protect Tazuna, but he could provide long-range support with Fire Style.
"Boss, don't run toward the water," Kakashi shot Naruto a look. Naruto's eyes flashed, and he sprang out of Kakashi's arms, returning to guard Tazuna with Sasuke.
Sakura's real body jumped out as well, tossing the ninja tool pack to Naruto. The three regrouped into an 卍-shaped formation around Tazuna.
"Don't go to the water?" Kakashi looked at Naruto.
"The water's his home turf. If he locks you down on the surface, he can send a water clone to kill Tazuna directly." Naruto grinned.
Kakashi's heart tightened.
So Team Seven had been deliberately dragging Zabuza away, keeping him from forcing Kakashi onto the river?
In the original story, once Zabuza disrupted the formation, he kicked Kakashi onto the water. A clone waiting there immediately trapped him in a Water Prison, letting Zabuza handle Tazuna at leisure.
This was ninja warfare—Zabuza might not beat Kakashi in a straight duel, but if his target was Tazuna, immobilizing Kakashi first was the optimal play.
Too bad he'd been smacked back to square one by Team Seven's "stir-the-shit" counterattack.
"It's fine, big bro." Naruto waved at Zabuza. "You're an assassin type—multi-person sports really aren't your thing!"
Veins bulged on Zabuza's hand. A giant throbbing "vein-mark" popped on his temple.
"Brat!!"
Sasuke stared at Naruto in disbelief. This was the moment to keep provoking?
But… Naruto had been calm from start to finish. The fight was bloody and chaotic, yet he never looked panicked once.
So presence and momentum were the key?
Sasuke felt like he'd learned something. He'd try this on Itachi someday.
"You still have time to look at others?" Kakashi seized another opening, charging Zabuza in a single burst. Zabuza reflexively swung, and the two locked blades.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu."
"What?"
Boom! A hand shot up from beneath Zabuza. He sprang back like lightning, releasing his sword mid-move and launching into rapid hand seals.
Ox—Monkey—Rabbit—Rat—Boar—Rooster…
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
Kakashi copied him on the spot, canceling the attack cleanly. Zabuza's advantage as an ambush specialist shrank even further.
He couldn't help but waver.
What now?
No, don't panic! He only copies—he doesn't even have his own techniques!
Right then, the taunting hiss that drove Zabuza insane rang out again.
"Bro, you're this bad? Go home, okay? Just go home,"
"you're better suited to be a puddle of dog shit."
Zabuza's silence was deafening…
He snapped completely. If he didn't kill Tazuna today, he'd at least kill this brat!
He shifted direction and pushed off hard—but Kakashi was already blocking him.
He caught Naruto's eyes… and in them was actual pity.
Zabuza lunged toward the river again, hands flying through seals. On closer look, it was the devastating Water Style: Grand Waterfall Jutsu—strong enough to wipe this whole area out.
Kakashi was forming seals too—and his hand speed was even faster than Zabuza's.
Naruto watched and thought, "Okay, this is back on track. The question is how we deal with Haku after this—do we move immediately?"
"What if the 'dungeon' ends early? But we still need the tree-climbing training EXP pack."
Sakura seemed to read his mind. She leaned close and whispered, "Take Haku out. After that, we focus on Gato."
Naruto understood instantly. The plot had already shifted—Haku and Zabuza might not be the biggest threat anymore.
Next, they'd wrap Haku up with Zabuza all in one go.
With that thought, Naruto slipped into his mental space again—time to go collect chakra rent from the Nine-Tails.
On the other side…
"Water Style: Grand Waterfall Jutsu!"
Kakashi beat Zabuza to it. A raging torrent exploded forward, smashing into Zabuza's position like a flood from heaven.
"Impossible!" Zabuza roared as the whirlpool swallowed him, dazed and spinning.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Several kunai pinned the half-unconscious Zabuza to a tree. Kakashi was ready to finish him.
And at that moment, Haku arrived right on cue.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Senbon needles stabbed straight into Zabuza's neck. He collapsed at once, silent and still.
Kakashi's eyes widened. He looked at the masked teen—dark green combat gear hugging a slender frame, silver patterns glinting coldly, an otherworldly calm that clashed sharply with the lethal needles in his hand.
"Thank you very much," Haku said politely, voice distant and cool. "You gave me the chance to kill Zabuza."
"A Hidden Mist hunter-nin…" Kakashi muttered, briefly explaining their origins and duties.
"I see." Naruto nodded seriously, then held out his hand. "Alright. Please show me your hunter-nin ID."
Kakashi: "?"
Sasuke: "?"
Tazuna: "?"
Sakura: "..."
"What, did I say something wrong?" Naruto swept his gaze around. "He wears a mask and he's hunter-nin? Then if I wear a Leaf headband, am I the Fifth Hokage?"
Kakashi and the others froze—then couldn't deny it kind of made sense.
Sakura chimed in too, dead serious: "I agree. There was a case in the village before where a scammer pretended to be an elite jōnin and conned people out of money. Folks got tricked because they didn't verify identity."
She was obviously making that up, but… it sounded plausible enough.
"Anti-fraud starts with everyone," Naruto nodded solemnly. "Also, our personal files are in Konoha. If you don't believe us, you can come back with us to verify."
Sakura was speechless. We're just acting—do we really need to be this rigorous?!
Haku fell into silence. He really didn't have any proof.
A real hunter-nin probably wouldn't carry an ID card anyway.
Then Naruto suddenly went blank for a split second.
Haku caught that lapse, and the urge to snatch Zabuza's body and flee flared up inside him.
Zabuza-san was huge and hard to carry… and what if he got hurt? His beautiful body…
Haku hesitated.
While he hesitated, Naruto snapped back.
"Where were we…? Whatever, I couldn't care less."
Naruto's eyes had turned blood-red, the pupils stretching into narrow, almond-like slits.
He said calmly to Sakura, "Just fight. My cheat just came online."
Join my patreon For Early access to Chapter : patreon.com/TheWorldGod
Tiamat 200 Chapter (Final)
Honkai 610 Chapter
Lobotomy 110 Chapter
MushokuTensei 400 Chapter
'Pure Evil' Simulator Chapter Ending
Crossover Fic Blapterue-Eyes Chapter Ending
Harry want to be Hero 170 Chapter
A Clever Life in the Naruto World 40 Chapter