In a single flash, Zabuza skimmed to the side of the lake, his silhouette blurring against the water. Because the Land of Waves is an island nation, it is veined with rivers and perpetually shrouded in fog. With the addition of Zabuza's signature "Hidden Mist Jutsu," the surrounding fog thickened instantly. Visibility dropped to zero. You couldn't see your own hand if you stretched it out.
Zabuza stood on the water, chakra exploding from his body. A whirlwind of mist roared around him, and his figure gradually dissipated into the white void.
"Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu."
Kakashi did not dare to be careless. He stepped in front of us, kunai drawn.
"Sasuke, protect Tazuna. Kenji, Naruto, stay close. Don't leave the formation."
Kakashi's voice was grim. "When Zabuza was in the Kirigakure Assassination Department, he was famous for his proficiency in the 'Silent Killing' technique. He generates a large amount of thick fog, then uses it to move silently and strike. By the time his target realizes they are being attacked... they are already in the Pure Land."
Kakashi's words made Sasuke and the others extremely cautious, their nerves stretched taut like piano wire.
Naturally, I wouldn't be careless. Zabuza was an Elite Jonin. But I didn't feel the same crushing sense of crisis. The Silent Killing technique combined with the Mist Jutsu was powerful, yes. It blinded the enemy.
But blindness is only a problem if you rely on your eyes.
I scanned the fog. Nothing. My [Anatomy Scan] relied on line-of-sight. In this soup, it was useless.
I can't get his location at all, I thought, narrowing my eyes. System, do you have anything for this situation?
A holographic list appeared in my mind's eye.
[Thermal Goggles (Modern):] 5000 SP. Too bulky.
[Byakugan (Bloodline):] 100,000 SP. Way too expensive. I only have around 16,000 SP.[
Kagura's Mind's Eye (Sensor):] Requires Uzumaki Bloodline Upgrade first.
I scrolled down frantically. Then, I found it.
[Observation Haki (Kenbunshoku Haki) - Basic]
[Origin: One Piece World]
[Cost: 15,000 SP]
[Description: Grants a sixth sense to detect the presence, strength, and emotions of others, even when invisible.]
Observation Haki... I thought. Perfect.
I purchased it without hesitation. 15,000 SP vanished. My balance dropped to 1,600 SP.
Worth every point.
[Skill Acquired: Observation Haki (Lvl 1)]
A strange sensation washed over me. It wasn't like seeing with my eyes. It was like a radar pinging in my brain. The world around me, previously a wall of white, suddenly had shapes. I could feel the fearful vibrations of Tazuna's heart. I could feel the blazing, anxious fire of Sasuke's chakra.
And out there, in the mist... I felt a cold, jagged spike of intent.
Found you, I smirked. Zabuza is not going to like this. In fact, he would rather die.
Sakura, trembling beside me, whispered, "Kenji... do you think who is stronger? Zabuza or Kakashi-sensei?"
I kept my senses extended. "In normal conditions, of course, it's Kakashi. But now, where he can't even see the enemy? They are almost a match. Maybe Zabuza has the edge."
*****
Zabuza's figure had completely disappeared. His cold voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere.
"I'll give you eight ways to die."
Sakura and Naruto jumped.
"Eight ways..." The voice drifted. "Larynx. Spine. Lungs. Liver. Jugular. Subclavian artery. Kidneys. Heart."
"Which one should I choose?"
After the voice fell, there was no movement. It was a psychological torture, forcing the prey to imagine their own death.
Kakashi's chakra exploded, dispelling some of the mist around him. His body radiated a powerful, blue killing intent to counter Zabuza's.
"My Sharingan has not reached the level of seeing through this density," Kakashi warned. "Even if Kenji is here... be careful."
The murderous aura collided. The air felt heavy, like lead.
Sasuke was closest to the epicenter.
His eyes trembled. Cold sweat soaked his back.
"What a terrifying murderous aura," Sasuke thought, his breath coming in shallow gasps. "It feels like... if I blink, I die. If I breathe wrong, I die. It's hard to imagine how tense it will be if we stay here for an hour. Is this what a Jonin feels like? It's unbearable. My life... is in someone else's hands."
Sasuke was nervous, trembling on the verge of collapse. His hand moved to his pouch. He took out a kunai.
He lifted it... toward his own neck.
"This feeling is too much," Sasuke thought frantically. "Instead of waiting for the sword... it's better to end it now. Release the pressure."
He was about to commit suicide.
At the same time, Sasuke saw me reach into my pouch.
He feels it too, Sasuke thought, finding a twisted comfort. Kenji is strong, but he hasn't experienced real war. Such a murderous aura... he can't bear it either. He's going to choose the easy way out, just like me.
However, Sasuke's pupils shrank.
What I took out was not a kunai.
It was a chocolate bar that I bought from system for a point.
Snickers: Satisfies.
I unwrapped it calmly and took a bite. Chew. Chew.
Sasuke stared at me, dumbfounded. The kunai halted inches from his throat. He... he's eating?
I swallowed and looked at Sasuke.
"What are you doing with that kunai, Sasuke?" I asked, my voice cutting through the tension. "Going to fight? Or... are you suffering so much that you want to commit suicide because of a little killing intent? No way? No way?"
My tone was mocking. Condescending.
It worked.
Sasuke's shame overrode his fear. His face flushed red. "I... I wasn't!"
"Sasuke," Kakashi interrupted, his voice firm. "Don't worry. I will protect you with all my might. I will never let my comrades be killed."
"Which organ should I choose?" Zabuza's voice whispered, sounding like it was right next to Sasuke's ear.
Sasuke let out a small, strangled squeak.
I leaned against the hilt of the massive Executioner's Blade, which I had stabbed into the ground like a tombstone earlier.
"Hey, Bandage-Man!" I shouted into the white void.
The killing intent paused for a microsecond.
"You missed a spot," I called out, my voice dripping with boredom.
"What?" Zabuza's voice echoed, confused.
"You listed all the vital organs," I said, picking my ear. "But you forgot the most important one."