《Zabuza: The Greatest Swordsman [A Naruto Fanfic]》


 Finally free

    Silent wind swept the rocky ground where dead bodies laid scattered, coloring the place in crimson, what is even more horrifying is that the cold corpses here are not those of adults but of young children, their light extinguished before they could illuminate the world.


    Adding to this bloody scene is a boy seated in the middle of the carnage, his hands wrapped around his legs, his vacant eyes wide open, giving the appearance of an exhausted beast bound by heavy chains. One couldn''t say if it was bloodlust or terror in his eyes.


    Some distance away, overlooking this carnage stood a group of people. Some were shocked, some were angry, while many were horrified..., except for one long gray-haired man whose face is like stagnant water; a courtesy to his vast experience and high status among this group of people.


    He and most of the people here, including the corpses are wearing uniforms of pinstriped material as bracers and greaves, their attire comprised of a black shirt, pant and a grey flak jacket. Additionally, each person sported a headband with a symbol resembling waves (~).


    "Clean up the ground... and from today onward..., stop this ceremony forever!" ordered the gray-haired man."Yes! Lord Third!" one of the men replied, emphasizing his status.


    witnessing today''s massacre, majority of the people around the gray-haired man agreed with the decision..., and for the one who didn''t?... they didn''t dare voice it out loud..., For the one ordering them is no ordinary man... he is the third Mizukage!!. In the village hidden in the mist his words are like the words of a god.


    After some time.....


    On the hospital bed of the Mist Village, a boy lay flat. he is the same boy who earlier, sat in the middle of that carnage. Although it is currently midnight, the boy is fully awake... His eyes are staring at the ceiling while his mind is drifting in a mist of thoughts.


    He looks at his hands.


    "With these same hands, I butchered them." Today, he regained the memories of his past life. As the two vastly different experiences were merging, he was forced to take a strange drug and then thrust into a battle royale.


    By then, he had already realized that he was not in his old world. He had been reborn in another world... specifically; in the world of Naruto as the first main villain of the series; Zabuza Momochi.


    Affected by the drug, he lost his sanity for a period of time... He cuts down child after child. They had tried to resist and fight back, but none were able to stop his mindless slaughter. He watched on in confusion and utter horror as his blade and kunai sliced waves of children. Trapped in his own body, he could do nothing.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    As he regained his sanity and control over his body, he had killed every other child in that arena.


    ''I had always wanted to get out of that monotonous life, now I am out of it. I wanted an exciting life... but this!..... This is not exciting; this is just stupid and cruel!''


    Owing to the fact that he wasn''t really attached to his past reality, even despising that loathsome life as a cog in the large economic machine, he had accepted this new revelation fairly quickly.


    But now again...


    ''Just looking at the life i have lived in this world till now, it seems that i have become a cog in an even bigger machine.'' He didn''t like the feeling of being controlled by others. He felt disgusted by his own weakness.


    ''This is all because I''m powerless! This is a dog-eat-dog world, where I am not even a dog'' he closed his eyes. "I am dog food," lamenting in a faint voice, he fell unconscious.


    The following days were just like every other day in the Hidden Mist Village: killing their fellow villagers, discrimination, terror. These were fairly common occurrences here. But recently, a rather surprising piece of news was spreading like wildfire...


    Apparently, the graduation ceremony for the lowest caste of students, i.e., those whose clans were annexed into the village, had been removed.


    People had varying reactions to this news. Many conversations were going on in the village, particularly surrounding the main character of this topic, who... however... was unconscious in the hospital bed. Days went by after the incident, but Zabuza didn''t wake up...While over time conversation about the incident died down...


    Finally, after nine days went by...


    "Ugh! My head hurts" Zabuza cried out. The nurse, who was replacing the IV fluid connected to his nerves, noticed this and called out; "So have you finally woken up!?"


    Alerted by the noise, "What?... What happened? And w-who are you?" in confusion Zabuza asked the woman. The nurse looked at the boy.... like everyone else in the village... she obviously knew who the kid was.


    Scared but with a hint of pity for the unfortunate kid, the nurse replied, "I am a nurse, and you are in the village hospital."


    Hearing this, he calms down. He remembered being in the hospital. Seeing the boy calm down, the nurse continued; "You''ve been in a coma for nine days."


    ''No wonder my body feels so stiff!'' he thought. "You stay here while I go search for the doctor." Silence returned to the room as the nurse went out.


    He is left alone to contemplate his present situation. These nine days in a coma were more like nine years for him. In this time period Zabuza Momochi''s original memories and his... or rather his past life''s memories had merged into one. Currently, he was and also wasn''t the original Zabuza.


    He was both the original nine-year-old Zabuza and a transmigrated soul. But at the same time, he had become a different person compared to both Zabuza and the transmigrated soul. ''I am Zabuza Momochi. Although I have memories of two different lives, I am still me, and that will never change,'' he thought.


    ''In my past life, I couldn''t live freely, not having a good relationship with my parents and being single. I lived alone, continuously repeating the same routine over and over again. I was tired of living... that was a pathetic life''


    He wanted to die, but he didn''t have a concrete reason to kill himself. Sure! he was living a monotonous life..., but that could never be the reason to give up on life....''When there were so many other people smiling while struggling through far worse situations. How could I; who had a stable life, give up on it just because i was bored?''


    ''I guess... deep down, I really believed life would get more exciting'' confessing in the end, the wind seemed to find its course, embracing the mist in its path, rather then trying to blow it away.


    ''Even in this life, I''ve lived being controlled by fate, an irrelevant chick in the grand scheme of things, being powerless and left at the mercy of others.''


    If he hadn''t regained the memories of his forgotten past life... he would have inevitably followed the same path shown in the Naruto series, meeting his end with the same unresolved emptiness.


    "But all of that doesn''t matter now.... Past is not real, only the present is!... from this moment onward, I will change my destiny as Zabuza Momochi..., I will live a fulfilling life with no regrets. I will never be attached to a string while being helpless. I will become strong and will never suffocate under the same piles of regret."

 It Worked out either way

    Other than him killing all the students in the graduation ceremony the series didn''t clearly mention anything else about Zabuza''s early years. ''Well i guess, there really isn''t much to it.. I am an orphan and also part of the lowest caste in the Hidden Mist Village.''


    Although there was no mention of it in the series, but it seems that, Kirigakure''s society was split into a caste system. The highest-ranking civilians were those whose family lineage originally stemmed from within Kirigakure.


    The second caste was for members of families who were allied with Kirigakure on the battlefields in the past. While the last and lowest caste consisted of members of the families who were defeated on said battlefields and annexed into the village, Zabuza being one of them.


    ''I wanted to die in my last life. I got that wish, but not only that, I was even given a new chance at life, as Zabuza, so I guess it worked out either way.''


    ''Currently, the Third Mizukage is still alive, while the Third shinobi World War is still ongoing, so I have a basic idea of the time period that I am currently in. I have to grow my strength quickly before the Fourth Mizukage takes over.'' Although currently, the village is called the Bloody Mist Village, it will become even bloodier during the reign of the Fourth Mizukage.


    ''Right now I am nine years old.... If I remember correctly Kakashi and I are of the same age. The war will probably last for at least another four years. Kakashi had to kill Rin at around the end of the war, after which Obito goes mad... So that means I only have four years to prepare myself.''


    ''I won''t be able to reach the Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi''s level by the age of 13, but I still need to be strong enough to face the storms that obito will create on his path of revenge and world peace''


    ''But how?'' Although he liked challenges, he certainly wasn''t foolish enough to dive into the sea without any preparations. ''Only when I have greater strength will I be able to face greater challenges. But the question still remains..... how do I gain more strength??''


    Zabuza didn''t have any unique heritage. He wasn''t from any special clan or had any kekkei genkai (Bloodline Limit).


    ''The only thing I have is a strong body and an above-average chakra reserve. Though the Zabuza in the show was shown to be stronger than an average jonin, he wasn''t at the level of a prodigy like Kakashi.''


    Even though Zabuza had trapped Kakashi with his water prison, one has to remember that after Kakashi was released, he ended the fight fairly quickly. Moreover even comparing Zabuza with Naruto part one''s Kakashi is rather redundant.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    During the period following Rin and Minato''s passing until his encounter with Naruto... Kakashi experienced a period of stagnation in his training and personal growth. Depressed and Wrestling with grief, he lost a large part of his early youth.


    ''Looking at the things I can do right now, there isn''t any special training I can do. So starting today, I should just work on my kenjutsu. while my long-term goal should be to get my hands on one of the seven great swords by becoming a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.'' He gets out of the hospital bed while planning out his future.


    Just when he was getting ready to leave the room, the doctor comes in. After a short checkup done by the doctor, no major complications were found in his body, leading him to be discharged from the hospital.


    Walking through the relatively quiet main road of the village, he eventually reaches the outskirts. Along the way, most of the villagers chose to ignore him, even if they had recognized him.


    It seems no one wants to associate with him... A sentiment he agrees upon... He, too, doesn''t want to be bothered by other people. It is a win-win situation for everybody...


    The area around him is a sparsely covered forest. The trees here looks like what you would expect from an island like Kirigakure. He could have gone to the village''s training ground, but he chose not to. After staying in bed for nine days, he wanted to stretch his muscles alone.


    He first does some hand and leg stretching, followed by twisting and turning his head and hips. repeating it for half an hour, he was done with the stretching. after that, he runs along the banks of the river that flows along the forest.


    As hours passed while he ran, a rain of sweat continuously streamed down his brow..., drenching his flank jacket and cuff rolled trousers..., running barefoot, his feets are muddy, earlier he had taken off his shoes and gloves, the accumulation of all that sweat had made them sticky with an unbearable smell...


    "Judging by the distance I''ve covered in a loop, I must''ve been running for more than three hours, and I didn''t even use any chakra. Even though I''m only nine years old, my body is remarkably strong!"


    "This much is enough for today." Deciding to stop his physical exercise, Zabuza walks out of the forest.


    Rustle!... Rustling could be heard as a figure appeared from behind a tree trunk. "He finally decided to end it for today, huh?" A hidden sensory ninja on his lookout shift had noticed his activity. it seems that, he was keeping tabs on Zabuza''s moves.


    "Now should I keep this in record?"


    Unaware of the little dilemma he had created, Zabuza walks out of the forest. even though he had enough chakra to use flash steps, Due to the exhaustion from running for hours, his body wasn''t able perform them right now.


    Exhausted, he directly goes home; a two room apartment, in one of the tall residential buildings of the village.


    Early next morning... Knock! Knock!... Someone was knocking on the door. startled by the noise, Zabuza wakes up. He goes on to pick his kunai, but then again... decides against it. If someone strong really wanted to harm him, they wouldn''t come from the front door and if they really did, a relatively strong Chunin like him wouldn''t be able to do much.


    Opening the door, he finds a letter held down by a shuriken, keeping it from being blown away by the wind. Picking up the letter, he proceeds to read it, the contents were simple, he is ordered to meet his new genin team, which he was supposed to be part of just after the graduation ceremony.


    The meeting is supposed to take place at 6 o''clock. noticing the meeting time, in a hurry he searches for his pocket watch, finding it under his bed "Phew! It''s still 5 o''clock. I still have time before the meeting, grumble!... guess i have to find something to eat first..., now that i think about it... i haven''t eaten anything since i got out of the hospital!"


    Living alone, everything from cooking to cleaning, he had to do it himself. Finishing his morning routine, and after stuffing his mouth with some bread and milk, he walks out of the building and unto the practice ground where he is supposed to meet his team.

 New Team 6

    Walking down the serene, foggy streets lined with towering concrete buildings, Zabuza made his way to the training grounds. Much like the rest of the city, the grounds too were blanketed in a thick mist... Adding to this mysterious atmosphere were the two silhouettes that stood some distance away.


    Assuming them to be his new comrades, he approached the silhouettes...., Noticing his presence, his supposed teammates looked his way. He too observed them up close...


    "Two girls?" observing them, Zabuza unintentionally spoke out, displeased by this hasty judgement "Look again, I am a boy!" Retorted the boy, assumed to be a girl for his relatively long hair and tall but thin figure.


    "Ehh!!! Boy??" He exclaimed out loud, yet again, irritating the boy whose manhood... or rather boyhood, is being doubted.


    "ooh! My bad, this must''ve been a sensitive topic for you." This certainly didn''t help diffuse the conflict.A sharp pin stung the boy''s heart. Subsequently, Zabuza got a fierce glare from the boy...


    "Um, why don''t we stop this quarrel..." a meek plea sounded...


    it seems to be coming from the actual sole girl of the group. "You both are here to join the team right? So shouldn''t we wait for Sensei to arrive?" Stuck in this tense situation, she tries to quell the fire.


    Zabuza looks at the timid girl, short brown hair, wide eyes, and her attire is the typical kunoichi dress, very much unlike Zabuza. She reminded him of a timid rabbit...


    Met with Zabuza''s gaze, the girl, however, lowered her head.


    "Do I really look that evil?" Zabuza questions at the girl''s apparent fear toward him, clueless about his own hooligan-like appearance. "You look like a demon!" remarked the long-haired boy. Zabuza, however, didn''t reply at that.


    Understanding earlier, he had touched the boy''s sore spot, he decided to let this comment pass. not wanting a pointless quarrel, very much considering himself to be better than a brat.


    Just like that, they unanimously waited in anticipation for their new Sensei...


    After waiting for some time, the sun was starting to appear brighter, and the thick blanket of fog was starting to subside.... ever so slightly, you could see a short figure emerge from the diminishing fog.Stolen novel; please report.


    The figure, whom they figured is their Sensei, however, doesn''t seem to match their expectation. They had imagined a rugged muscular man to be their sensei, but it seems fate had other plans...


    Their new sensei''s features were more in line with a teenager than a middle-aged man....


    Carrying a uneven hook-ended club on his back, He has a mean-looking face with messy gray hair and pupil-less pink eyes. his attire is flashy to say the least, consisting of black pants and black sleeveless shirt , with brown boots... he is also draped in green cloth around his waist and shoulders...


    Although the person standing in front of them looked not much older they themselves, they knew more than to judge a book by its cover. "I am Karatachi Yagura, a 19-year-old jonin. You all must know why you are here!?"


    "Yes!" Three kinds of yes came out from the three genins. One was a nervous whisper, one was calm and stoic, while another one sounded thrilled.


    Zabuza obviously knew who Yagura, the fourth Mizukage is... though Yagura isn''t the Mizukage yet, he really didn''t expect to see the next Mizukage this fast... ''Yagura Karatachi, he is my jonin sensei huh! Unexpected but interesting... I wonder how strong he is right now?''


    Yagura examines the genins for a brief moment and continues, "It is basic courtesy to introduce oneself when other people have already introduced themselves. so now... I want you all to introduce yourself, starting with the one who seems the most excited."


    Not wasting even a second Zabuza speaks "I am Zabuza Momochi! Nine years old. I want to be a strong ninja for the village. I will become so strong that other villages will think twice before laying a hand on our village."


    "the world doesn''t know the true potential of the hidden mist, i will let them know!" He declares, adding some clich¨¦ goals along with it to sound more like a loyal ninja of the village.


    "Wow," his two teammates felt awed, thinking He may not be that bad after all... but then a realization struck. "Zabuza??" Something clicked in their minds. The two, one boy and one girl, were shocked beyond belief... trembling, the girl spoke,


    "You mean the same Zabuza that killed all his classmates?" Zabuza remained silent, unable to find words to respond.


    Meanwhile, the boy, recalling his earlier characterization of Zabuza as a demon, found the remark chillingly accurate, though he certainly isn''t patting himself on the back for it.


    While the two genins were grappling with the revelation, something entirely different was going on in Yagura''s head. "This kid... just like Mizukage-sama said, he is interesting..."After everyone had calmed down, Yagura orders them to continue with the introductions.


    Now it was the turn of the only girl on their team. Nervously twiddling her fingers, the girl introduces herself. "M-My name is Ruka. I am also nine years old... I want to be a medical ninja and help save people." Presenting herself, her face had become tomato-red.


    Yagura smiled at that. "Good, that''s a great goal to have. Next..."Finally, it was the stoic boy''s turn. "My name is Utakata," He began calmly, "Same age as the other two. Currently, my focus is on honing my technique..." he states, brushing aside a strand of hair that appears to cover half of his face.


    ''Utakata'' this name is bugging Zabuza for some reason. ''Now where have I heard this name?'' Right now, he is really cursing his previous self for not paying attention, while watching the show ''He is from Kirigakure, same age as me....yes! I have to remember along those lines of thoughts..''


    Clap! Clapping once, Yagura brings attention to himself. "Now that everyone has introduced themselves. with me as the leader, team 6 is officially formed"


    "as a team, we will perform our first mission the day after tomorrow... But!, Before that, you three will have to show me your full capabilities, i will be the judge of your abilities" Yagura says, while his mouth slightly curves to the side.


    "is this a challenge?!!" Zabuza replies with his own mocking smirk...


    "I don''t care either way," Utakata maintains his attitude like always...


    "I will try my best" Ruka says, clenching her fists.

 Test of Will

    In the training grounds of Kirigakure, the three genins looked around them, searching for the perfect location to launch an assault on their sensei.


    Choosing a place of their liking, all three dispersed away from Yagura. Seeing them disperse, Yagura stood in the middle of the ground, waiting in anticipation for an attack to come...


    ...."..." But nothing came even after waiting for a few minutes.


    "Guess I have to move myself." Giving up on waiting, he headed toward the treeline and bushes, which are common hiding spots for genins. As he stood beneath a wide banyan tree, swish! A kunai flew toward him. Stepping aside, he dodged it.


    Locating the direction from which the kunai came, he jumped up the trees, landing on a branch. Just then, a short sword came swinging at him. Blocking the attack with his kunai, he stepped onto another branch.


    In a flash, the sword followed its target. Clang! Yagura parried the sword again. The assault seemingly failed, the attacker stepped back on a nearby branch, his appearance now clearly visible. "Heh!" Yagura snickered. "I thought you would keep hiding..."


    Zabuza, holding a short sword, looked at Yagura in front of him. "Thought I would give you a surprise," he replied before darting up the tree trunk.


    Yagura was not expecting this nine-year-old to be capable of running on trees. "Guess, he is not all brawn," he mused, following after his student.


    On top of the banyan tree, a figure burst out of the dense covering of branches and leaves. Mid-air, he turned around and threw shuriken toward the hole he burst out of, delaying anyone who tries to come after him. Not a second passed as he started free-falling down the tree. Grabbing the vines of the tree, he decreased his drop speed, allowing him to avoid any injury.


    "If only I could fly... Sigh! Even in this world, not everyone can fly!" Landing on some bushes, he was preparing to run away, just when sounds of bubbles bursting could be heard above him. Curious, he looks up.


    "WTF! Someone is sprinting on-top of bubbles!" he exclaims, amazed by what he was seeing. "Wait a minute, that weird hairstyle... It''s that Utakata fellow." Deciding to watch what he was up to, Zabuza stayed hidden among the bushes.


    On top of the banyan tree, Yagura observes Utakata. "Soap bubble? I did hear he was a prodigy, capable of using this technique proficiently, but to be able to fly by using the bubbles as platforms... Did every prodigy from this year end up on my team?" Such thoughts were going in yagura''s head, when...


    Locating Yagura on the tree-top, Utakata immediately launched an attack using his bubble pipe. He blew air into the pipe in quick succession, creating a barrage of seemingly ordinary-looking bubbles which flew toward Yagura....


    Yagura obviously didn''t see these bubbles as ordinary. Although there are a very small number of soap bubble users, he knew very well that the bubbles bolting toward him would most likely explode!


    And explode they did, Boom! Blast! In just a second, the treetop where Yagura stood turned into charcoal, while he himself is nowhere to be found.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Utakata, looking at the blast he caused, wondered if Yagura got caught up in the blast. "Probably not, he is a jonin after all," he muttered, shaking his head as he landed, hopping atop the bubbles.


    Rustling through the bushes, Zabuza comes out of his hiding spot. "I had guessed you would be cowering while hiding somewhere, but I guess you are pretty good," Zabuza remarks.


    Turning toward his annoying teammate "Can''t you even complement properly? and look who''s talking, the one hiding among some bushes." Utakata retorts. "Heh! A ninja is supposed to hide in ambush, you know!" saying so zabuza tries to change the topic.


    He asks, "And where has that cry-baby gone?" Not getting a reply, Zabuza tries to sense Ruka''s chakra, but fails to do so. "Well, I at least tried..., I really need to work on my sensing abilities," disappointed by his sensing ability or the lack thereof, he decides to train in this field of ninjutsu.


    Yagura didn''t make them wait for long. He appears... unharmed. "Both of you, come at me at the same time otherwise..., it''s too easy," Yagura said. Both the students looked at each other... nodding their head they decide to work together.


    The first one to act is Utakata, just like the last time he blows bubbles in quick succession..., the bubbles rapidly bolt toward Yagura, but unlike last time, they explode mid-air, just before reaching their target... creating a flash and releasing a large amount of smoke which hinders Yagura''s sight,


    "go!" Utakata says, turning toward Zabuza, but he..


    "You don''t have to say emo boy" he is already rushing toward Yagura, trying to get him while he is still recovering from the flash...


    Grabbing his short sword by the hilt Zabuza does a horizontal slash from left to right... but who is Yagura?... although the flash had rendered his eyes unclear for some seconds, it isn''t nearly enough to confuse an experienced fighter like him... he still has many other senses to rely upon. he blocks the slash with his double-hooked club


    While all the fighting is going on, Ruka is just arriving on the scene, in search of a hiding spot she had gone further ahead. But upon hearing the explosions, she hurriedly made her way here.


    "There they are..., thank god! no one is inju¨C" but before she could properly process the things she was seeing, the situation reversed drastically.


    Zabuza is in a fierce struggle right now, facing a barrage of strike from Yagura''s club. he isn''t able counterattack or even, break free from this situation.... Yagura''s movements are fluid and precise as he rotates his club, thrusting the club''s lower end toward Zabuza''s sword, the sword is stuck in the narrow hook, pulling the club snap! Break! he snaps the sword in half.


    Looking at his young student, Yagura says "You seemed to think, I would merely be blocking while you attack me, never expect your enemies to show you any mercy, this my first lesson to you"


    On the other side, while Zabuza was fighting... Utakata was preparing a huge attack, he has a huge bubble; the size of an average adult attached to his pipe, ready for launch.... as Zabuza falls to the ground being wrenched by Yagura''s hooked club, a opportunity presents itself.


    He launches the attack, as only Yagura is standing, "huge bubble explosion!" seeing the attack hurl toward himself, Yagura, rather than try to get out of the way, swiftly pulls out a shuriken and throws it toward the large bubble, which is slower then the normal ones, exploding it upon contact, before it can even come close.


    Yagura, using flash steps rushes toward Utakata "you see the biggest option is not always the best one" saying this, he is about to strike Utakata''s abdomen with his club, but just then three shurikens wrapped in exploding tags comes flying from the side, making his take a few steps back to avoid them


    the attack came from Ruka, upon seeing Yagura move away from the injured Zabuza, she had jumped into the fray trying to heal him, right now she is besides him, desperately trying to heal him using the limited medical ninjutsu she knows. but seeing Utakata about to go down, she was compelled to take action, even though she was busy healing Zabuza.


    right now, Zabuza finds himself in a pretty bad situation, his muscles are seething in pain, the joints in his right hand are dislocated..., this is because his hand was jerked violently, as a consequence of Yagura suddenly snapping his sword in half.


    Seeing that the situation is looking pretty grim Zabuza decides to stand up either way, grabbing his knife-like broken sword in his left hand... and grinning like a maniac, he charges toward Yagura.


    "Wait" both of his teammates exclaimed simultaneously, trying to warn him about something.


    Zabuza either chose to ignore their caution or couldn''t heed it in time, either way it is already too late... With swift precision, he executed a vertical slash aimed at Yagura''s abdomen, then seamlessly transitioning into a diagonal strike when the initial attack was blocked.


    The diagonal slash found its mark, though contrary to everyone''s expectation blood didn''t gush out of the wound, rather water started spilling out of it...


    "That''s not the real sensei, it''s a water clone, he had replaced himself with it when he charged at me," Utakata reveals.

 Practice

    "I did find it odd that I was able to harm him, but to think it was really just a clone!!" Zabuza mutters, falling to his knees. The exhaustion has left his energy depleted, prompting Ruka to resume healing Zabuza''s injuries.


    "Good Utakata, you are spot on. You really have a talent for sensory ninjutsu, huh?" Yagura suddenly appears in front of them, complimenting his student. "But that doesn''t hide your rather important problem!... You are too flashy! Try making small but effective attacks during urgent situations, not big and slow ones."


    "You all have problems..., Zabuza, you, however, are too hasty. Don''t always rush at your opponent; rely on your teammates."


    "And Ruka, you are too slow. Always stay near your team. Your role as a medical nin is to support your team."


    All three genin take the advice to heart. A jonin like Yagura would likely know better than them, who became real ninjas just recently.


    "Moving on, I want all of you to be ready for our first mission as a team. The mission will take place the day after tomorrow; you have one day to recover."


    Shifting his gaze toward Zabuza, he calls out to Ruka, "Ruka, you are to heal Zabuza''s arm by then." Trusted with this responsibility, Ruka nods in agreement.


    "And what is our mission?" Utakata asks.


    "You will know when the day comes...," although not satisfied with Yagura''s answer, he decides against asking any further, knowing very well the importance of secrecy for a ninja.


    "Now then... farewell, students." Yagura flashes out of his position, leaving his perplexed students behind. "Now what do we do, go home?" Zabuza asks his fellow students. For a moment, no reply came from anyone, but then Ruka spoke up, "So, if you two don''t mind, why don''t we go to my family restaurant? What do you think?"


    Standing up with the support of Utakata, Zabuza exclaims in approval, "Good, let''s do that! I haven''t eaten anything since morning."


    "How about you?" he asked, tapping Utakata''s shoulder gently. "I don''t usually dine with others¡ªGrowl!" His stomach disapproved with a loud growl. Flustered by the unexpected interruption, he couldn''t continue. "Let''s just go!" Ignoring his friend''s plight, Zabuza blurts out loud.


    ..............


    "Hiccup!" ''My morning breakfast could never be that good'' Going into Ruka''s restaurant, Zabuza wasn''t expecting the food to be that good. Contrary to his expectation, not only was the food there good, but even Ruka''s parents were very nice.


    They are the kindest people Zabuza has ever met ''I need to protect these people at all costs,'' declaring in his heart, he made his way home.


    Reaching his old, moldy apartment, it was already afternoon. Ruka''s restaurant was near the training ground, probably to attract potential hungry patrons exiting the area. But due to this, it took him a longer time to reach his apartment than he had anticipated.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "It''s already 2:35!" He looks at his clock.


    "Let''s just meditate. I can''t possibly do physical training in this sunny and humid day, also after just exhausting myself and dislocating my hand," complaining to himself, he looks at his right hand.


    "Though, it''s really a wonder how medical-nins can just fix it in no time at all," he says, disregarding the fact that it took Ruka half an hour of continuous hard work to fix his arm. For an inexperienced medical-nin like Ruka, it takes a lot of focus and chakra to do such a thing.


    Sitting in the lotus position, Zabuza had started meditating. He tries to feel the chakra naturally present in his body. Chakra is essentially the mixture of a person''s physical energy and spiritual energy. Molding these two energies creates chakra.


    A person can naturally increase their chakra reserve through training, but only to a certain extent. It all depends upon one''s lineage, hard work and talent. A normal civilian could never hope to have as much chakra reserve as that of a Senju clan member.


    Zabuza has above-average chakra reserve. ''Today I was able to perform tree climbing; But that is nothing to be proud of, Every ninja is able to do it... I need to have good chakra control if I want to have a chance at competing with the heavy hitters.''


    The most important thing in chakra control is to know one''s own chakra pathways. These pathways absorb physical energy from every cell of one''s body, which is then refined into chakra by various organs, mainly the heart.


    "I need to focus on my heart, while feeling every part of my body...." heart is the primary part of the Body which plays a huge role in refining physical and spiritual energy into chakra


    "Everyone''s chakra is different, other people aren''t able to teach me beyond the knowledge of major meridians present in everyone''s body.... i need to do it all myself"


    Time slips past as he continued to spectate every meridian and chakra pathway in his body. The sun had already gone down the horizon when he finally opened his eyes.


    "Huh? Why is it still dark? I already opened my eyes....." He widens his brows in an attempt to see clearly but then realizes that his eyes are as open as they can be and the problem lies with the light source. "It''s already night!... I didn''t even notice it..., thank God no one is here to see me in this state."


    He turns on the lights. The moldy room brightens up. As he squints his eyes at the sudden light, reality started dawning on him.


    ''Damn it, why am I not good at cooking even after living two lives?'' He mumbled to himself, cursing his lack of talent in cooking. He remembers the lunch he had during the day. "This just doesn''t make sense!"


    As there was nothing he could do, he eats some bread by dipping them in milk. His stomach filled, he decides to meditate even during the night. "This is a better way of using my sleep time. I will be resting and training at the same time," an obvious thing to do, if one really thinks about it.


    The next day, Zabuza spent his day practicing and improving upon his swordsmanship. Weapon usage being his primary style of fighting, his Bukijutsu [weapon technique] skills are very good, especially his sword skills.


    Mist village ninjas like him generally have an advantage in terms of kenjutsu. In Kirigakure ninja academy, a huge focus is given to teaching students blade wielding skills, be it swords or knives. The famous Seven Swordsmen are from the Mist, after all.


    Satisfied with his sword skills for now, he goes on to practice some ninjutsu, specifically the hiding in the mist technique. This is a water release technique; the user fills the air with air and controls its thickness with their chakra, allowing them to hide their presence in the mist and hinder the opponent''s sight.


    Although this is a D rank jutsu, if used together with the silent killing technique, these two make for a deadly combo. In the series, Zabuza''s usage of this combo was known to be second to none.


    Zabuza knew both of these techniques. Individually, they are easy and simple to learn; even academy students could learn them. "Ninja Arts, Hidden Mist Jutsu!" Shouting the name, he performs the jutsu. A thick mist starts forming around him.


    "Now what? Even I can''t see through this mist. The academy only taught us this jutsu so that it can act as a distraction when we retreat.... How do I use it in combat?..., they did tell us that it can be used in combat, but we weren''t at the level to get the information."


    "Maybe if I can''t see, I need to use my other senses... hearing? Chakra sense? Or is it something like a sixth sense?.... "


    He comes to an unconfirmed conclusion. "It''s most likely hearing!. Among the three options, this is probably the easiest to train in... But then how do I train my hearing?" Not getting a concrete answer right now, he decides to let the matter for a later period.


    Zabuza continues the ninjutsu practice for a while. Afterward, he does the common strength and stamina exercises, ending the day with more training and meditation.

 The First Mission

    Waking up early in the morning, Team-6 gathers in front of the Mizukage building.


    Here, Yagura reveals their first mission as a team: "Our mission is to raid a pirate hideout. This is a C-rank mission. Although new genins are not normally given C-rank missions, this is an exception due to the ongoing war."


    In firm words, he explains the situation: "The village is currently experiencing a shortage of able-bodied shinobi. The war has already cost us many losses, and this is likely to continue for a long period of time... After this mission, you all too will be plunged into the battlefield; so consider your first mission as just a glimpse of what is to come."


    "As expected of the future Mizukage, he doesn''t beat around the bush," Zabuza was starting to like his sensei more and more... Gazing at the three with his pupil-less eyes, Yagura asks, "Any questions?" "No, sir," three reply, with vastly different levels of enthusiasm.


    Walking down the shoreline, they enter the port area. Taking a five-man boat, they exit the village. The boat is a sailboat, so they have a sailor traveling with them... After traveling for about two hours, "We have arrived at the destination," the sailor calls out... "Finally, we reached it," Zabuza exclaims, and everyone on the boat could see the island some distance away.


    Upon getting a closer look at the island, "Is this really the island, Sensei?" Ruka asks. The island looked desolate, ruined houses dotted the shoreline, with traces of arson. "It''s likely the work of those pirates," Utakata says.


    "Careful! There are traces of fresh blood on the ground. People may have recently died inside those houses," Yagura warns the group. "Are the perpetrators still near?" Zabuza asks. "Maybe, maybe not... One cannot judge the situation hastily."


    Disembarking from the boat, they carefully enter the houses, searching every house in the vicinity, but couldn''t find anyone... "Now only one house remains. That''s likely the village chief''s house," Yagura concludes... "You three!! Stay here and watch each other''s backs, while I check the house," saying so, Yagura enters the house...


    "Ruka!! Come here!" a loud shout comes. Hearing this, Ruka and her two teammates quickly rush toward the house... A pungent smell of iron rushes into their heads as they catch sight of a gory scene from hell. Lifeless bodies were stacked atop one another, while blood is dripping down their open wounds, forming a crimson puddle.


    Reality spins around them, their bodies become jelly, legs wobble, as their stomachs churn, trying to spew up its contents. "Don''t dawdle about, help me save this man," Yagura''s call echoes throughout the room... Zabuza appears to be the first one to grasp the situation. "Hey, wake up!!" immediately shaking his teammates out of their daze.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Straight away, they go on trying to save the last surviving man. Ruka helps Yagura heal the man. Yagura, not being a medical-nin, isn''t very good at medical jutsu; he only knows the basics. Even though Ruka herself is also a novice in this field, little help is obviously better than none...


    Their trouble didn''t go to waste, as the old man starts to regain consciousness. With a hazy look, he looks up, "Shinobi??" he whispers. "Yes, we are shinobi from the Hidden Mist," Yagura replies softly. "Thank you for coming, but... as you can see... it''s already too late," with watery eyes, he laments.


    "Everything is not over!, Look! Most of the dead are old people; the remaining people must still be alive," pointing at the pile of dead, Yagura tells the man.


    Realizing this, the man finds hope in the gates of purgatory, "You are right! Yes! They shouldn''t have died. They are still alive!!! Please... please you have to save them," seeing the man finally able to answer his questions, Yagura takes a breath of relief. "Can you say where their hideout is?"....


    Content after answering all of Yagura''s questions, the man takes his final breath...


    As Yagura and the crew leave the village and set off to the pirate hideout on their sailboat, Zabuza speculates, "Those pirates are probably thinking of selling the villagers into slavery." Yagura nods in agreement, adding, "That is why we need to be fast. We have to find them before they leave their current hideout!"


    Zabuza''s two friends, however, were in no situation to comprehend anything. The horror of seeing death for the first time has made them numb to their surroundings. Initially, they managed to handle it, but when the urgency died down, the weight of the situation really started pressing down on them, reeling from the shock and in a state of dizziness, they have already vomited multiple times...


    In a neighboring island, some distance away from the village, rugged-looking pirates can be seen unloading people from their boats... Men, women, and children, everyone is chained down from wrist to ankles. Furthermore, these different chains are connected, forming a line of chained individuals. "Oi! Walk faster," groups of these people are being led into a large warehouse...


    On the shores of the island, one man, sitting on his chair, is overseeing the whole operation... Some pirates gather in front of him, "Boss Gataro! As you have ordered, we killed all the old ones and brought only the useful goods," stepping forward, one pirate reports.


    Their boss Gataro, wearing a red hat and a long red coat, has a scar down his right eye, making him look like a typical pirate captain... "Were there any losses on our part?" he asks, tapping his fingers on the chair... "Boss! Although there was a minor incident, it didn''t cause any losses, hehehe! Rather, it is a big profit. We were able to get our hands on a product with kekkei genkai."


    Hearing this, Gataro becomes ecstatic, immediately demanding to see this kekkei genkai user. Happy to oblige his underling brings him to the boy... while explaining how they found him, "He has the Typhoon Release...., we heard this from the villagers and we even saw it in action ourselves."


    "How did you capture him?"


    "Hehe! You surely are jesting! How could we not capture him when you, our great boss, has taught us to use chakra?! With our enhanced strength, it didn''t take us long to subdue this Brat."


    Tracing his eyes at the spot, his subordinate is pointing at, Gataro sees a light-skinned boy of slender figure with green hair and yellow eyes. As a result of his scuffle with the pirates, he is wounded with bruises all over his body...


    "This will be our biggest haul yet. The profits will be massive," rubbing his two palms against each other, the pirate boss starts daydreaming...

 Eliminating The Pirates

    In a flicker, Yagura disappears from the boat. A minute or two later, he reappears. "Their numbers exceed 100, and although they are just pirates, many of them seem to have a basic understanding of chakra. They also have cannons attached to their boats."


    "Tread with caution. I will only help when necessary. This will be your training of sorts."


    The three genins didn''t object to Yagura not helping them. Rather, they liked the idea, wanting to gauge their own strength. The fight with Yagura doesn''t count!


    Puzzled by something, Utakata questions, "But how do we reach the island? We three can''t walk on water. Do we just charge right in?"


    "Don''t worry, I have a solution for that," Yagura says, smirking.


    .....


    It was the usual time of day for the pirates, but then, "Oi, look! There''s a boat in the distance. Quick, inform the boss of this and ready the cannons."


    "Sensei, is this really a good idea?" Ruka calls out nervously.


    "It''s a great idea. Now, start!"


    Right away, Zabuza executes a seal of confrontation. "Hiding in the mist jutsu!" In an instant, the air is filled with mist, rapidly covering the whole coastline with the aid of the plentiful seawater around them.


    Right when Zabuza''s role is done, Ruka''s role starts. "Wind release, breakthrough!" Taking a deep breath, she starts expelling a gust of wind, which the sails pick up, rapidly thrusting the boat forward.


    Now it''s up to the sailor to safely maneuver them to the shoreline. "Don''t worry, miss. I have done this many times before," the old sailor reassures Ruka while grabbing the helm.


    Tearing through the mist, the boat bursts out of it, reaching the shoreline in a big splash! Jumping down from the boat, they immediately launch an attack.


    Using his newly bought sword, Zabuza strikes his unsuspecting prey one after another.


    Ruka, on the other hand, uses one of the only two water-style jutsus she knows. "Water wall technique!" As the name suggests, she temporarily creates a wall of water around her target, rendering them unable to provide any backup to their allies.


    The pirates are left speechless. "Wa-what? How?" Unable to respond to the attacks, they become easy pickings for the three ninjas. "Aaaah!" "Help!" The cries of utter terror fill the air.


    Amidst the panicking pirates, a composed voice rings out. "Don''t panic. Surround them in groups. Overwhelm them with our numbers," the pirate boss commands aloud.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Utakata scoffs at that. "As if you dirty pirates can be our match." He conjures a series of bubbles aimed precisely at pirates that are grouping around them.


    With a snap of his fingers, the bubbles set off. A chain of explosions occurs in quick succession. The act of clumping up together becomes their biggest undoing.


    Zabuza doesn''t let this chance go. In a swift motion, he cuts down an unprecedented number of enemies, unprepared and outmatched by the continuous assault of three ninjas. They fall like dominoes.


    When they were finally done, no pirates are left standing around their immediate vicinity. Glancing around them, they see all the disfigured men, their victims are writhing in pain. Some have lost their limbs, some their eyes, while others are bleeding out.


    Many are unmoving, eluding only one thing. Zabuza and Utakata look away. Ruka, however, is unable to do so. Aspiring to be a medical-nin, she feels a deep loss in her heart... But right now, she cannot afford to be saddened by her enemies'' deaths. she has a mission to complete.


    Clenching her small fists, she is determined to move on.


    "Now! This is the moment! Launch an attack while they are exhausted!" Yelling out of his lungs, the pirate boss Gataro, with thirty of his close henchmen, charges at the three.


    Zabuza, being the nearest one, faces an onslaught of sword strikes from Gataro.


    Thankfully, the other pirates are not able to join in. Ruka was able to create a water wall in time, effectively blocking the other pirates in their tracks. If not, the situation would be very difficult for Zabuza to face.


    Using chakra to enhance their blades, like a samurai, the pirates easily blast away the water wall. But before they could go and help their boss, they are stopped by Utakata''s "large explosion Bubble." Ruka and Utakata work together to deal with the underlings.


    "How long do you think they can last, huh?" Gataro taunts Zabuza, showing his rotten teeth. Using the two swords in each of his hands, he executes unrelenting strikes at the young ninja.


    Stepping a few steps back while dodging and parrying the pirate''s strikes, Zabuza reaches the seashore. ''This bastard is really annoying. Two swords, huh? I have never fought a two-sword user.''


    ''Excluding sensei, he is probably the strongest opponent I have ever faced. I will give him that.''


    "But this ends now!" Zabuza hurls a large amount of seawater from the shore toward his opponent, blasting him some meters away.


    "What? What was that? How did he get so strong?" Just as Gataro is about to stand up, "wind style breakthrough!" Gataro gets blown away by Zabuza''s sudden burst of power, both literally and figuratively.


    After a brief moment in the air, Gataro is struck on a nearby tree, bleeding from both his nose and mouth. "You fools, guard me!" He shouts at his underlings, opening his mouth, his disfigured teeth had become even more unsightly.


    The pirates going to help Gataro take away a huge stress load from Utakata and Ruka.


    They had initially taken an attack and defense approach. Utakata would attack while Ruka would defend and support. This had worked in stalling the pirate henchmen in place, but quickly became unsustainable. Both of them, especially Ruka, started running out of chakra.


    Zabuza is stopped by the henchmen when he tries to finish off Gataro. Fighting off ten of the henchmen at once, he is unable to reach his target. ''Where did he go?'' The pirate boss disappears from everyone''s eyes.


    "Utakata, can you find him?"


    "Yes! I can sense his chakra inside that big warehouse," he replies while fighting off a pirate with his kunai.


    ''According to sensei, the kidnapped villagers are inside that warehouse. Don''t tell me!''


    "Stop this fighting all at once," Zabuza''s fear comes to light. "If you all want these people to live, then stop while I am still being nice," Gataro threatens, pointing one of his swords at a young girl''s neck and the other one at all the remaining people in the warehouse.


    "If you three take even a step and disregard my warning, starting with this girl, I will kill every sheep locked in here."


    "How can you treat human lives like that? Aren''t you also human?" a dam has crumbled down as water cascade down Ruka''s cheeks, faced with such an ugly side of human beings she is unable to comprehend it.


    "Shut up, you brat. I don''t care what you think," he fumes with anger.


    As Gataro is distracted by Ruka, Utakata subtly brings his bubble-blowing pipe near his mouth, ready to attack. But before he could execute the attack, the pirate boss notices him. Agitated by this action, he is about to kill the girl he was keeping as a hostage.


    But before he could do any of that, swoosh! Bam! A vortex of wind crashes onto his body, blowing him away for the third time in a row.


    The vortex of wind had come from inside the warehouse. A boy comes into view, dragging the chains that bound him. He walks out through the warehouse entrance. He is none other than the kekkei genkai user, the pirate boss was planning to sell.

 Farewell and A new Beginning

    "Well, if this isn''t a surprise." Out of nowhere, Yagura appears in front of the boy, grabbing the unconscious pirate boss by the collar. "You have a kekkei genkai, right? What is your name?"


    "Isn''t it right to introduce yourself before asking others for an introduction?" the boy replies.


    "Ooh! You are right. My name¡ª"


    "My name is Nowaki. I am currently ten. I do have the kekkei genkai Typhoon Release, though I have yet to master it," he introduces himself in a composed manner.


    "Oi, you brat! How dare you be so shameless!" An imaginary fire starts burning around Yagura. "Pfffft!" His students couldn''t hold it in any longer; They start giggling at the expense of their sensei, annoying him even more.


    "Ahem!" Changing the subject, Utakata asks, "So what do we do with these remaining pirates?"


    The pirates around them, still petrified by their boss''s sudden defeat, shudder at the question.


    "If they surrender, we hand them over to the daimyo. They are just bandits and not part of any major hidden village... but mainly because they are weak. We don''t have any use for trash, not even as prisoners."


    "If they don''t surrender, then..." Swoosh! A slight release of Yagura''s chakra makes the air cold.


    With their fate sealed, the pirates quickly put down their weapons. The four shinobi swiftly release the villagers from their chains and bind the pirates with those same chains.


    After being released, the villagers express their gratitude to their saviors, especially Nowaki. He is the one who saved them from imminent death, after all. The villagers gather around him, showering him with thanks and praise.


    But oddly enough, many of the villagers are also hanging their heads low. What could be the reason? Zabuza could guess, but he didn''t think it was his place to speak.


    Via his communication radio, Yagura calls the civilian authorities of the Land of Water. Although these kinds of radios are not used during war, as they can easily be compromised, they are used for low-level missions like this one.


    After some hours of waiting, the civilian authorities, composed of a single samurai who can use chakra and a dozen or so regular civilian police, arrive at the island. Dumping the dead pirates in the ocean, they proceed to leave the island along with the civilians.


    They jam all the pirates that are still breathing into a single boat. Crammed full, it''s unclear whether they will still be breathing by the time the boat makes landfall.


    Using the pirate boats that have now lost their owners, they reach the nearest inhabited island, which is the kidnapped villagers'' home island.


    As daytime was starting to slip by and night was rapidly approaching, Yagura''s team and the civilian authorities decide to spend the night on the island.


    Zabuza, Yagura, and Utakata help the villagers bury their loved ones who were killed by the pirates. They clean the village chief''s house, in the process learning that the old man they had found was indeed the village chief.


    The old man even seems to have been very close to Nowaki, evident when Nowaki stays beside his grave the whole time.


    After having a simple dinner near a big campfire, Zabuza and the team were heading to their sleeping area when they witnessed an odd scene: the girl who had been taken hostage by the pirate boss was weeping in front of Nowaki.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Deciding not to interfere, they watch the situation play out.


    "Nowaki, I am sorry." Her tears wouldn''t stop pouring out as she speaks. "I am so sorry that I always bullied you. I wou¡ª" Sniffling, her nose is running nonstop, causing her some difficulty while speaking.


    "You don''t have to apologize. It doesn''t matter," the boy reassures her, but she doesn''t stop. Taking a deep breath, she wipes her tears. "No! I have to! Even though I always called you names, even beat you, you still saved me from that pirate."


    "I don''t deserve to be saved by you. I blamed you for my father''s death, even though I knew you could never have created that typhoon. I still blamed you like all the other villagers."


    She grabs Nowaki''s hands and flings them toward her face. "Slap me like I slapped you. I called you a monster just because of your powers," she utters, dropping down to his feet.


    He pulls the girl up. "Compared to all the other villagers, who only gave me cold glances and indifference, you actually treated me like a human. At least you didn''t ignore me. Except for the old village chief, you were the only other person willing to talk to me."


    Saying so, he walks away, leaving the girl behind.


    It is currently midnight. The ninjas are deep asleep in their tents. The villagers had tried to give them homes to stay in, but knowing that most of the houses were destroyed by the pirates, they didn''t want to make the villagers sleep outdoors.


    As usual, Zabuza is meditating instead of sleeping. Just then, he hears the creaking of a door. Thinking someone wants to get some fresh air, he ignores it. But then, his ears pick up the faint sound of something being dragged across the sand.


    Now he couldn''t ignore it any longer. Not disturbing his teammates sleeping next to him, he quietly walks out of the tent. With soft steps, he reaches the shoreline from where the sound was coming.


    "There''s no point in hiding," Zabuza calls out, turning back. "I guess there isn''t!" Nowaki walks out from behind a large rock.


    Zabuza walks to the boat. "There isn''t anyone else," Nowaki assures the shinobi.


    "Then what is this idiot doing inside the boat?" He picks up an unconscious man by the nape. The man, bandaged all over and bound by chains, is none other than the pirate boss.


    "He is my guide. This is none of your business. Do you really want to stop me?" Nowaki stiffens his body while glaring at the shinobi.


    "This is my ninja business, you know!" Zabuza replies with his own glare. "And what can you even do if I want to stop you?"


    "Your mission is already over!" Nowaki forms a bird seal with his hands. "I am not weak like you think. My parents were also shinobi."


    Reminiscing about the past, his golden eyes lose their ferocity as he speaks. "They raised me here in this village, believing that the Mist Village is dangerous for us kekkei genkai users. They were great shinobi, but when I was six, they perished during a mission."


    "Before they perished, they taught me many things."


    "The only reason those pirates were able to capture me was because they took the village chief hostage."


    "Phew!" Zabuza breathes out. "I don''t really care if you leave the village with that trash, but... what will I get in return?" His question confuses the boy. "What do you want? What could I possibly give you?"


    "A promise."


    "Just a promise?" Not understanding why he would just want a promise, Nowaki reiterates, "How can you only ask for a promise? How can you trust a kekkei genkai user? Don''t shinobi hate us?"


    "Why would I hate you? My sensei also has a kekkei genkai, you know! And my promise is not so simple. In the future, if I ever need any kind of help from you, you have to comply with my requests."


    "What makes you think I will comply?"


    Zabuza smirks at that. "Will you not?"


    "Ahem!" Clearing his throat, Nowaki replies, "I will consider it, if it''s a good request. Now, farewell." He pushes the boat into the water, but as he is about to jump on the boat, he turns back.


    "How will I recognize you in the future? You haven''t told me your name."


    Grinning at the boy, Zabuza replies, "I was wondering when you would ask that. My name is Zabuza Momochi. Remember my name. Always keep it in your mind. By the time we meet again, everyone will know this name."


    As the sails pick up the wind, the boy maneuvers the boat in a preplanned direction, carrying with him a simple compass, a map, a week''s worth of food, and other basic necessities. He, a sole person at the sea, the moon hanging on the sky being his only friend.


    "Can he be considered my first friend?" Nowaki wonders to himself but doesn''t stop to look back.

 Walking on Water

    Zabuza returns to his camp, unaware that someone has been observing his every move.


    ''Sigh! Waking me in the middle of the night and increasing my workload. What will I do with these students of mine?'' Yawning and rubbing his eyes, a certain sensei ponders inside the tent...


    The next morning, everyone is surprised by Nowaki''s absence. However, after finding nothing but a single odd letter in his house, they realize that he didn''t disappear but left of his own volition.


    Though bringing the pirate boss with him makes him suspicious in the eyes of the Land of Water''s authorities, the villagers don''t mind. To them, he has already done enough...


    Leaving the island, Zabuza and his team return to their village. What happens after the mission is not their concern; their mission has already ended...


    Reaching the village, they head directly toward the Mizukage building to report on their mission.


    Upon reaching the Mizukage''s office, Yagura goes inside alone. Completing his report, he walks out after a few minutes...


    ...


    "So we only have five days to prepare before our team is sent to the war!" Zabuza exclaims under his breath. The time had finally come...


    This is not a shocking revelation to any of them as the other teams from their batch are already serving on different battlefields. Only Team 6 is delayed because Zabuza fell into a coma.


    If Zabuza hadn''t woken up on the tenth day, they would have had to serve on the battlefield with only three members until they got a new teammate.


    Yagura speaks with indifference, "Normally, genins wouldn''t graduate from the academy at the age of nine and face such dangers after just two weeks of experience... but times are different right now!"


    Hearing his sensei speak, Zabuza observes his two teammates. "What, are you two scared? Scaredy cats?" Zabuza taunts, gesturing at his teammates'' trembling fists.


    "No, I am not," Utakata quickly retorts, while closing his arms to hide the shaking. Then, noticing something ironic, he adds, "And look who''s talking?"


    "??" Confused by this statement, Zabuza looks down at his own hands... they too were trembling! ''Am I really nervous? Or is this...''


    "This is just excitement!" he states with confidence. But is it just false bravado? He himself is unclear.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Yeah, right," Utakata, however, seems to be very clear.


    Ignoring his students'' antics, Yagura carries on with the explanation. "Take proper rest today because for the next five days, you three won''t have any time to relax. Your days will be filled with continuous training."


    He creeps up a devious smile... "You may even feel like dying!"


    "Tomorrow at 7:00, we will gather at the training grounds again. You are dismissed." Like always, Yagura just disappears after stating the matter at hand.


    Zabuza, turning toward the unmoving Ruka, calls her out of her trance. "So, Ruka, why don''t we go to your restaurant? This time, I will pay for the bills." She responds with a nod.


    ....


    Yesterday went by as a new day starts.


    In the training ground of Kirigakure, directly below the tallest tree, three genins stand in front of their sensei. "Today we will learn tree climbing."


    "Tree climbing?" Perplexed by Yagura''s announcement, Utakata asks, "What is there to learn about it?"


    "We are not talking about tree climbing using hands but legs," turning his gaze toward Zabuza, he gestures for him to demonstrate. Getting the message, the student immediately starts climbing the tree vertically, using nothing but his legs.


    ''Ooh?'' Yagura observes the tree up close. "Good! You have improved from the last time." When he had seen the boy perform this technique during their clash on the banyan tree, he had left a few rather deep footprints on the tree. Now, however, the tree is undamaged.


    Seeing Zabuza stand on the tree trunk with a proud smirk fills Utakata''s heart with fire for some reason... ''If he can do it, so can I!'' Seeing it as obvious as the sun rising from the east... Ruka too clenches her fist, not wanting to be left behind.


    But first, they have to know how it''s done. they keenly listens as their sensei simply explains the process. Understanding the theoretical base behind the technique, Utakata and Ruka try to implement it in practice...


    They focus a fixed amount of chakra to the soles of their feet, using that they try to glue their feet to the tree. But as expected, after being able to climb some steps, they fail. Using too much or too little chakra will lead to failure; one has to have a balance.


    Tree climbing is very essential for a ninja, in that it helps to better control one''s chakra.


    Yagura tells Ruka and Utakata to continue with the tree climbing. "Practicing this will help you avoid wasting chakra unnecessarily. This will make you three last longer in the battlefield."


    "Zabuza, you on the other hand will do a different training," he speaks, turning toward the river. "You will learn to walk on water."


    Listening to his sensei''s instructions, Zabuza tries to walk on water for the first time, but to absolutely no one''s surprise, splash! He drops into the water. Bubbling! ''Wait a minute... I can''t swim!''


    Thank God, being right next to the shore, he is able to hold on to solid ground in time.


    Walking out of the river drenched, he fixes his gaze at Yagura. "Sensei, I can''t swim," he utters, breathing heavily.


    "I can see that. Try it in shallow waters." Nodding his head, Zabuza staggers toward a shallow part of the river. Reaching a place where the rocks on the riverbed are clearly visible from the surface, he starts his practice.


    With quivering feet, he takes his first step. This time, as the currents are low, he succeeds in standing on top of the surface for a longer period of time. Gradually, as the hours go by, he learns to emit a constant stream of chakra from the bottom of his feet.

 Hiding In The Mist

    Four days remain before Team-6 is plunged into war...


    Currently, Yagura is standing just opposite to the forested area of the training grounds.


    "So, you want me to teach you how to fight in a dense mist?" Folding his arms and tilting his head, he peers at his student with those pupil-less eyes of his.


    "Yes! That is what I want!" Zabuza replies bluntly.


    He is the only one in-front of yagura... His teammates aren''t around, most likely busy with their own training.


    "Can you do it or not, sensei?"


    Annoyed by the brat''s behavior, Yagura snapped, "Of course I can! Who do you think I am?" But then, like a seasoned actor, he quickly composed himself. "Before I teach you that, have you mastered what I taught you yesterday? Can you already walk on water?"


    "I wouldn''t say I am good at it, but I can do it!"


    "That''s good enough for now... Now then, as you can walk on water, we will do our training on it''s surface."


    To reach the river, they walk into the forest. The river, seemingly hidden by the trees lining its banks runs through the middle of the forest.


    As they are on their way, they come across Utakata, diligently practicing tree climbing. It doesn''t seem like he has mastered the technique yet.


    Nonetheless steadily he is reaching the tree-top, as indicated by the kunai marks along the upper section of the tree-trunk.


    "Too slow," Zabuza remarks at his fellow teammate, despite the fact that he himself took days of practice to master tree walking.


    After waking up from his coma, the only special techniques he knew a bit about on how to train were Rasengan and tree walking.


    So whenever he got the time, he would practice tree walking by walking on the walls of his apartment.


    Returning to the matter at hand...


    Utakata completely ignores Zabuza''s taunt. Covered in dirt and sweat, he continues his practice.


    Yagura, after leaving the boy with some advice, exits the forested area along with Zabuza following in his steps.


    Reaching the river bank, they meet another of their teammates... Ruka, drenched in water from head to toe, is practicing walking on the water surface.


    Splash! She falls into the water but quickly swims out and continues her practice. Unlike Zabuza, it seems she can swim.


    looking at the girl, Zabuza notes "How is she learning so fast when Utakata on the other hand is struggling? In fact, she is even faster than me." he walks up to his sensei.


    Yagura turns back toward zabuza "Her low chakra reserves combined with her talent in chakra control make her perfect for such training."


    "Does that mean Utakata has large chakra reserves as he is taking more time?" Zabuza asks but it is more of a amzed remark.


    "Yes, the larger the chakra reserve one has, the harder it is to build up and control that chakra."


    Listening to Yagura''s explanation, Zabuza ponders to himself...Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ''Naruto was also very bad at chakra control in the beginning. He would use large amounts of chakra when performing simple jutsu; ultimately leading to failure...''


    ''Only when he got better guidance from Kakashi and Jiraiya was he able to show his true potential as a Jinchuriki... wait! Jinchuriki??''


    Something clicked. The mystery that''s been bugging him all this time.


    ''Utakata is a jinchuriki!!¡ªright now he isn''t, but he will be in the future... no wonder I thought he looked familiar.'' At last, Zabuza finally puts it together...


    Clap! An abrupt clap from Yagura snaps him out of his inner monologue. "What are you dazed for? Focus! Now we will start our training."


    They walk toward the shallow part of the river. Standing on the surface of the flowing water, Yagura swings his hand in an upward motion, indicating Zabuza to start.


    The air around Zabuza starts to turn white as he forms the seal of confrontation. Rapidly, the mist spreads to the surrounding area. "This is good enough!" Zabuza exclaims...


    Inside the heavy mist, he sees nothing but white. Then suddenly, bam! A sharp pain assaults his back. Wincing in pain, he straightens his back.


    "Pain is the best way to learn," Yagura''s stale voice reaches him. compelling him to be more alert to his surroundings.


    The place returns to its ghostly silence. Only the faint rippling of water reverberates in his ears. His heart beats faster as he feels a pressure down his spine.


    Zabuza catches glimpse of something. In front of him, a large black club rips through the mist. Its hook-end ensnares Zabuza''s legs, and the club swings, dragging him down to his knees. Thankfully, he hasn''t fallen into the water... yet.


    Plunge! One of his legs plunges into the water. "This is embarrassing," he tries to pull his leg, but then he loses control over the chakra flowing down his other leg, that was keeping him on the surface.


    Splash! His lower half fully submerges into the water. "Sensei!" he calls out, but no response comes. "You know I can''t train underwater, right?"


    A reaction finally came. "Always remain calm. Shinobi need to have full control over their mind. You can only survive for a long period of time if you remain calm in any situation."


    As Yagura stops speaking, a hand grabs Zabuza''s shoulder, rapidly pulling him up from the water. For a second, he becomes a cloth hung mid-air on a rope.


    His whole body above the water, he feels the water surface with his feet...


    Subsequently, as he is released from the grip, he is able to stand on the water surface, thankfully saving his face from yet another awkward situation.


    ''Phew! At least I avoided being laughed at by sensei. Focus, Zabuza, focus!!, I have to sense every movement around me.''


    The world converges into one... He stands, unmoving, unthinking. Unshaken by the doubt that was there just a moment ago. He becomes one with his environment.


    Swoooosh! He dodges an object aimed at his shoulder. This single motion makes him sweat bullets. "Huff! Huff! Are you trying to kill me, sensei?"


    "They are blunt, they won''t kill you... it will only break some bones. No big deal, right?"


    "Yeah, right!" That one kunai nearly scared the soul out of Zabuza.


    Like that, they continued their practice for the whole day...


    ....


    The third day of training is a bit different from the previous days...


    Zabuza, blindfolded, has been instructed to walk around the training ground. Today, Yagura is busy helping Ruka perfect her ninjutsu. Utakata, on the other hand, is busy practicing water surface walking.


    Alone, Zabuza roams among the trees and bushes. Tack! Tack! He lightly taps the ground with a stick. "Phew! I have finally reached the stone road." A cloth wrapped around his eyes, he sees nothing but black.


    A little while back, his sensei had explained the importance of this training to him. "Try to sense the objects around you. If you are able to do it, you can fight even while being blind."


    "With continuous practice, you will be able to obtain a higher level of reflex. It is different from the ability of sensory ninjas who use chakra to sense others. It is more of an archaic reflex of humans. Different from our five basic senses, this intuition to sense things is called the sixth sense..."


    Zabuza had obviously heard about the sixth sense in his past life. Although unproven, many people believed in its existence. ''Sigh! There''s a long way to go before I can gain this sixth sense... Right now, I might as well improve my other senses.''


    ''I have to empty my mind.'' He does just that, emptying his mind of unnecessary doubt. He tries to feel everything around him, every smell, every touch, every sound.


    ''Is this a rock?'' He can only guess what''s in front of him. "Maybe if I combine my natural senses with chakra, it will be easier. Either way, I don''t have any other option currently."

 Last Days Of Training

    Inside a particular cave of Kirigakure, the damp, moist world appears to become still... its silence only disturbed by the occasional drops of water trickling down the ceiling.


    At the very end of the dark cave, seated in a lotus position, Zabuza stares intently at a dim candle, lit some distance before him. *pat! A drop of water falls on top of his head, then another drops on his feet.


    They don''t fall continuously or follow any pattern. *pat! *pat! This time he hears two droplets fall on a nearby rock.


    Just then, Yagura''s voice echoes throughout the cave. "Yesterday you were in control of what to focus your senses on. The forest is filled with many kinds of sounds, and you were able to focus on a specific one. Today you don''t have that luxury."


    "Here, all you will hear is one sound: water droplets. That same sound will echo here time and time again. Even the buzzing of insects is absent in this hostile cave. You have to locate where the water droplets are falling from the sound they produce."


    "Do that while not taking your eyes off this candle. This will be extremely hard for you to do."


    Zabuza scoffs at his sensei. "How hard can it be? You may not know, but I always meditate during the night. This will be a piece of cake!"


    "You mean the same meditation where I saw you snoring half the time?"


    "Wa-what? Really??"


    "Of course. I noticed it when we stayed overnight in that village. I was confused at first," Yagura says, smiling like a donkey as he squints his eyes. "I then wondered if it was part of your meditation."


    Listening to what his sensei had to say, Zabuza takes in a long, silent breath... "Ufffff!" followed by a long exhale. ''I can''t get bothered by him. I can''t let him have the last laugh...''


    ''Half¡ªHalf the time, yes! He said I was snoring half the time, which means I was meditating during the other half.''


    Satisfying his own ego, he fixes his gaze on his annoying sensei. "So, don''t you have anything better to do? Are you just going to stay here trying to get some points out of a nine-year-old?"


    "Just accept that you have lost, you brat! Sigh! Anyway, I obviously have better work to do than babysit you. Farewell."


    As the words stop bouncing off the walls, Zabuza becomes certain of Yagura''s departure. ''Today it''s Utakata''s turn to get some pointers from sensei after all.''


    *pat!If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ''Ruka also said that she will be reading books about medical ninjutsu from the library.''


    *pat! Pat! Pat!


    "Phewww," the place becomes eerily quiet as Zabuza tries to focus on the candle lit in front of him... Pat!!


    ''Annoying, how am I supposed to focus with these stupid droplets having a grudge against me?''


    Zabuza sweats profusely in anticipation of the inevitable fall of yet another drop. His senses have become hypersensitive to any kind of change around him. His muscles twitch at even the slightest vibration.


    With every drop, the cycle repeats itself for what feels like an eternity...


    ...


    Finally, the fifth and final day of the training had arrived.


    Arms folded, Yagura called out to his students, "Starting tomorrow, we are fully required to participate in the ongoing war. Today, I want to see how much you three have grown in worth. You will each fight me individually."


    "If you brats want to survive the battles ahead, you have to know your own strength and capability. Fighting a strong opponent like me, your flaws and limits will become apparent."


    Zabuza is not feeling good right now. Feeling sluggish, his eyes are heavy while his brain isn''t braining (AN- it''s intentional).


    This is not because of anything Yagura spoke, but because of the sleep deprivation he had to go through last night. Every time he tried to sleep, he would be disturbed by the unrelenting stream of noise assaulting his ears.


    The three days of training his senses really did a number on his mental state. Normally, the human brain ignores most of the sounds we hear. That is why even in a noisy situation, we are able to focus. Our mind treats the sounds we don''t want to hear as background noise.


    Looking back...


    On the second day of his training, he was introduced to being devoid of sight. He had to face unexpected attacks from his sensei while not having the sense humans rely on the most. He became a sitting duck. It was a one-sided beating...


    The third day of his training, he had to navigate the forest alone, blindfolded. Sparring with his sensei inside the mist, at least he only had to cover a small, flat surface. The water surface on which they stood was flat and even, but the forest was anything but that.


    The fourth day of his training was the most arduous by far... Sitting in a nearly soundless cave and having to hear only the constant and unpredictable splash! of water droplets would drive any person crazy. Such methods were used to torture prisoners, no less.


    Zabuza gets a shiver down his spine. ''Although now I have learned to control my heightened senses, I haven''t got a single hour of rest. How the hell am I supposed to fight in this state? Well, I guess I should look at the bright side.''


    ''Thankfully now I am able to sense anything in my immediate vicinity. This is the only silver lining after yesterday''s training...''


    "Let''s see..." Yagura, observing his students for a second, decides on the first one to spar with him. "Zabuza, you are the first one..." The student had expected as much.


    Like last time, they choose to spar on the water surface. But unlike last time, when Zabuza was the one on the receiving end of Yagura''s attack, the roles have reversed this time around...


    "I guess there''s no point in gauging how deep the water goes." Zabuza makes a seal of confrontation, directly deciding to use the Hiding in the Mist Jutsu against his sensei.


    "Kirigakure no Jutsu!" The jutsu fulfills its role as a thick mist covers the whole width of the river, obscuring the view of Ruka and Utakata, who were observing from the riverbank.

 Last Days Of Training-2

    Clang! Splash! Iron clashing and water splashing can be heard from the mist. "What could be happening inside?" Ruka''s anxiousness is plastered on her gloomy face.


    "Hmph! He is probably getting beat up by Sensei," Utakata is certain of it, and for a very good reason... After all, what can one accomplish in just three days?


    ''Hope the idiot doesn''t lose too horribly,'' but of course, he is a big soft¡ª ''No point being better than a loser after all.'' Well... maybe not!!


    "Don''t say such bad things, he is our friend... Zabuza kun!, please be alright?" Joining her hands together, she prays for the boy.


    ''Friend huh?'' Utakata can''t help but twitch the corners of his mouth. "He won''t die, don''t worry," he decides to reassure the girl.


    Inside the mist, Zabuza catches his breath after launching a flurry of slashes at his Sensei.


    He is able to precisely locate Yagura by utilizing his physical senses together with his basic chakra sensing ability.


    Basically, what he does is, he releases a thin wave of chakra from his body as the focal point. The chakra dissipates after traveling to a distance of approximately 20 meters, which isn''t much but it works, as it is also the maximum distance his mist covers.


    The wave can''t even be seen with naked eyes, though a sensory-nin would still be able to detect it.


    When an object comes in contact with this chakra wave, the inconsequential amount of chakra bounces off the object, doing no damage, but as Zabuza is able to sense anything his chakra senses, he is able to gauge the approximate location of that object, its shape, and its size.


    Getting close to the target, he uses sound to further pinpoint their location. But even still, to know the target''s stance, he has to get dangerously close to them...


    This is the hardest part. If unaware of this crucial detail, he won''t be able to tell if he is attacking from the front or the back of his target.


    ''If only I could focus chakra on my eyes, ears, and nose, this would have been a whole lot easier.'' It''s not that he didn''t try doing it, but every time he tried, sharp pain would assault those parts of his body.


    He reckoned this is because of his chakra control still not reaching the necessary standard.


    ''Guess, there''s no point complaining. I still have a solution for it after all..." He closes his eyes. All of his senses working in sync, he scans the whole area...


    Suddenly opening them, he swish! He goes in for¡ª slash! Dodge! Yagura dodges it, twisting his body. ''Silent killing?'' Wielding his club, he strikes back. "I nearly didn''t notice you, good! You finally are learning to carry out silent killing inside this mist."


    Clang! In a fluid motion, Yagura''s club meets Zabuza''s sword. "Tho it''s only a given, you were very good with swords after all." To perform silent killing one moves closer to a target without making any sound, followed by slitting the enemy''s throat. It''s a simple and effective.


    Screech! The sword drags along the club as Zabuza tries to repel it back. "It''s nothing to brag about. everyone can do it."


    Yagura smiles at the boy. "Heh! Pretending to be humble! Although silent killing is easy to learn, it''s hard to be good at, you have to have a talent for it."


    Yagura retracts his club, allowing the boy to breathe a sigh of relief.


    Stepping something like a meter back, Zabuza fixes his gaze at his Sensei, who is barely visible even this up-close. "What about my senses? How much do you think they have improved?" He really wanted to find this out for a while now.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    His Sensei, however, averts his gaze and starts whistling, trying to find out if doing so inside a mist really summons ghosts or not.


    "Sensei???"


    Yagura is really facing a dilemma right now. ''What do I say? do i say,... That it''s truly amazing he has achieved a level that even I took more than two weeks to reach??... Absolutely not!''


    "Sensei??" his student calls out again.


    "It''s alright! Better than most genins and chunins. Tho you have a lot to improve... you have three apparent areas to work on. One is your chakra sense, second is infusing your sensory organs with chakra, and finally, the third is to achieve a sixth sense."


    "You have done good reaching the level you have reached. Your mastery in sensing is even. a little bit faster than mine. But don''t get too conceited. When I was your age, I was still stronger than you are now." Of course, a teacher has to brag about what they were as a kid.


    "Heh! You still look my age tho".....Peace!... people!, this is what digging your own grave is like... Such a remark, was it really worth it? Right now, there is no one to answer such a question.


    All because a carbonated cola for brains has triggered the self-destruct button... The world has arrived in the great age of awkward silence... [A.N-supeeeer!!]


    .....


    The mist starts to recede as the two figures emerge out of it. Yagura is obviously clear with no signs of any problem, but the same can''t be said for the poor Zabuza. He seems a little slow in walking, even limping a bit.


    Upon closer inspection, Ruka calls out to her friend. "Zabuza-kun, what happened to your head?" There are two bumps on each side of his head, looking like two small goat horns.


    "These are battle injuries, don''t ask further."


    Respecting Zabuza''s wish, she starts healing him. ''That insecure man, just because of a word he beat me up in the name of training. Power is truly justice.'' -Did he really learn his lesson?


    His bumps were subsiding as Ruka heals his body. A single drop of tear trickles down his left eye. "Ruka, you really are an angel. Is this what having a little sister is like?"


    Ruka, however, was too caught up on healing him to hear his muttering. "Did you say anything, Zabuza-kun?"


    "No, nothing."


    This dramatic scene, Utakata and Yagura both utter a single sentence after watching the whole of it play out. "So stupid!!"


    The team didn''t dwindle around for long as Yagura and Utakata spar. During the spar, Utakata brought out his two new techniques, (Drowning bubble technique) and (soap bubble slime). his four day of training has shown this result.


    At last, after Ruka had properly healed Zabuza, it was her turn to spar. She too had improved her abilities. During the spar, she not only used Water Release Jutsu, but also Wind Release Jutsu. Altogether she used four jutsus:


    Water Release- (Water Wall), (Water Wave)


    Wind Release- (Wind Breakthrough), (Gale Palm)


    Yagura had taught her the Gale Palm jutsu, during the previous two days.


    As tomorrow will be their first day in battle, they finish their training early to take some rest and be in their best condition.


    Just when the team is about to disperse and head home, they are surprisingly stopped by Ruka. "Wait a minute, please." It seems, she has something to say.


    "I have requested my parents to prepare food for us.... You three haven''t eaten any breakfast, right?... You can have it in our restaurant... S¡ªso will you come?" She is anxious, especially regarding her Sensei. She is unsure whether he will agree to such a thing or not.


    In Kirigakure, unlike the civilians, shinobis rarely ever eat in restaurants. As in this village, ninjas mostly keep to themselves, and most of them interact with others only when necessary.


    Looking at Ruka''s gloomy face, her team realizes something. Her inviting them is not so simple as it seems... Yes, she is worried!!¡ªworried something may go wrong in the war. She is trying to make this fleeting moment last a bit longer. She fears losing her friends.


    "Ahem! Now that my student has made such a request, how can I reject it?" Yagura isn''t very good at cooking, so the invitation really looks rather appealing to him... He speaks while slowly nodding his head, trying to make it seem like it was such a hard decision for him to make.


    Zabuza gulps down his saliva. "Sensei really brings up a good point. I also agree." Of course, he was already planning to go even if the other two didn''t. Smiling sillily, he can already smell the aroma of good food.


    Utakata sighs at the situation. ''Wasn''t he sour about getting beat up a moment ago?'' He really isn''t used to such people. Silence means he is okay with it.


    Team-6 makes a unanimous decision... Deciding to enjoy their last free day as a team, they head toward the restaurant.


    Though it was a treat from Ruka''s parents, Yagura still chose to pay the bills.

 The Third Great Ninja War

    Right now, Team-6 is at one of the largest landmarks of the village hidden in the mist. Just to reach the entrance of this building, one has to climb a fairly large number of steps.


    Of course, it''s the Mizukage building...


    The team of Yagura Karatachi the Jonin team leader, and his students¡ªRuka, Utakata and Zabuza¡ªgreet the Mizukage by bowing their heads. "Good morning, sir Mizukage."


    It is a formal meeting. The atmosphere is heavy to say the least.


    The gray-haired Mizukage is a very serious-looking man; the kind that would boil you alive and eat your soul... You wouldn''t find him goofing around and telling jokes.


    If he wasn''t wearing the iconic Kage hat, he would fit in perfectly amongst a certain stuck-up Sharingan-wielding clan.


    Yagura steps forward, while the three Genins remain at the doorstep.


    The Kage and the Jonin exchange some words and glance back at the Genins from time to time.


    The three Genins aren''t clear as to who among them the person of interest is, but Zabuza has a guess... ''Utakata, has he already been selected as the Jinchuriki?''


    Like that, the short meeting ended with the Kage not uttering a single word to the Genins. They then proceed toward their deployed location in the ongoing war.


    .....


    Standing on the ocean shore, Zabuza looks toward the horizon. "It took two whole days just to reach this so called land of forest and now we have to travel through this dense forest?... Man, this is such a drag." Yawning, he hops onto a nearby tree, closely following behind his sensei.


    His two teammates are following his back, forming a formation of sorts...


    The most experienced Yagura is at the front, the close-range fighter Zabuza just behind him, the medical nin Ruka closely follow the two as support, while at the rear, Utakata is there to launch projectiles from a distance.


    They rush through the forest, hopping on tree branches, continuously skipping sections of the forest.


    "Stop!" Yagura raises his hand, indicating his team to halt. Just then, phuff! a dog appears midair.


    Meticulously landing on the same branch as Yagura, it raises its head toward the human. a scroll held firmly in its mouth. Yagura takes the scroll and swiftly reads it. "Show us the way."


    "Yes!" the dog nods.


    "What is it, sensei?" Ruka can''t help but ask.


    "We have three teams to rescue. They have fallen into a trap. We don''t have much time... follow the summon ninken."


    Understanding the urgency of the situation, the three Genins don''t ask any further questions.


    Without taking any rest, they travel a mile or so, only stopping when they reach an even denser part of the forest.


    "Is this the Forest of Bewilderment?" Zabuza questions. A while back, Yagura had mentioned the name of their destination.


    The dog turns back. "The Forest of Bewilderment this is, yes!"


    Yagura looks toward the forest for a few seconds and asks, "Enemy''s numbers and their strength?"If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Unclear, both are!" the dog replies.


    "I see..." He commands the team to stay alert. "We must remain unnoticed by the enemy."


    The ninken guides them through the Forest of Bewilderment.


    Unquestionably, this patch of forest isn''t called the Forest of Bewilderment for no reason. The common ways of navigation don''t seem to work inside this forest.


    Here, the fog and the sweeping winds disturb a person''s sense of direction, while the extreme magnetic field hampers the compass, adding fuel to the fire.


    Only the ninkens'' ability to sense their contractor can be called a foolproof way to navigate this mess.


    Of course, you could still blast through it if you''re strong enough or you could even calmly walk through it if you are a good sensory type...


    Traversing the place for some minutes, Team-6 reaches an area covered in vines. "Prepare yourselves, they could come attacking at any moment."


    "Who they?" the team questions.


    "Enemy they." Phuff! the dog disappears in a puff of smoke, he had to notify their allies of their arrival. The team isn''t alarmed by this, as before reaching here, he had already notified the-team that he would have to disappear for some time.


    "Can''t he speak normally?" they all wonder.


    Suddenly..


    Swissh! Block! With his sword, Zabuza blocks a kunai aimed at Ruka''s throat. "We can''t have our medic die this fast, now can we?"


    "Thank you, Zabuza-kun." Ruka''s pupils are stretched wide by the unexpected attack.


    On the side, Utakata''s mind is mystified ''How did he react so fast?'' he himself had also sensed the attack when it came, however...


    ''When I was just processing the situation, he had already moved from his place... He moved there before the kunai even came into view.. It was like he sensed the kunai right when it was released from the enemy''s hand. How did he do it?''


    Abruptly, Utakata is forced out of this inner turmoil as eight shinobi surround them from three sides. The team of four, with their backs against the sea of bushes and vines, have nowhere to escape.


    The enemies'' clothes suggest they are from Konoha, most noticeably the headbands''.


    "Reinforcements from Kiri? But why is it just four brats?" one of the two men surrounding them from the front questions, no one in particular.


    Next to this bigmouth, the shinobi presumed to be the leader, for his higher chakra pressure, appears unimpressed by his subordinate''s hasty judgment. "You can''t underestimate them just because they are young."


    "Stay vigilant!" he reminds his team, but soon after, lets out a jaw-breaking yawn... No one can blame him; abysmal dark circles surround the man''s eyes. This zombie hasn''t had an instance of sleep for a long while now.


    On the other side of this face-off, Yagura is fuming through his ears right now. ''These leaf bastards, they don''t know when to stop.''


    He doesn''t like them calling him a kid one bit, but he also can''t just correct their misconception, that would be even more embarrassing. "You all are dead!"


    Ensui, the team leader, is weirded out by the kid for some reason... ''why does he look so angry?'' Still, nonetheless, he gives the order to attack.


    "Try to capture them alive. We need to know if further reinforcements are arriving after them."


    Despite his careful nature, Ensui''s confidence in his team, surpasses his caution.


    Of course, it''s good to be confident, but when faced with a team of Kirigakure''s newest prodigies. confidence alone can''t give you victory


    The confrontation goes on as you would expect. The three Genins hold off six of the eight opponents, without much difficulty.


    Zabuza faces two simultaneous attacks at the same time, but the one in control of the flow is always him. Even his steps don''t needlessly drift away from his general periphery. He skillfully blocks the kunai and shuriken and strikes back when the opportunity presents itself.


    Ruka also holds her own against the enemies. Using her different jutsus, particularly the Gale Palm that she had recently learned, she makes it difficult for her opponents to counterattack.


    Utakata, like the other two, also utilizes his own advantage against the enemies. What''s more, he has almost neutralized both of his opponents...


    One is drowning under his Drowning Bubble Technique, while another is having his movements restricted by Utakata''s Soap Bubble Slime. It is only a matter of time before this one is also defeated.


    Yagura has taken on the remaining two, including the leader Ensui. They are the strongest ones among this group of Konoha shinobi.


    The other one of the two is the bigmouth who had called Yagura a kid, and you can believe Yagura doesn''t pull any punches while fighting this pair of shinobis. The bigmouth, in particular, is getting thrashed.


    Understanding their dire situation, Ensui quickly backs off to a safe distance, at the expense of his comrade''s immediate plight. "Tch! Guess I''ve got no choice, Shadow Imitation Shadow Bind Technique."

 Chukuchi

    Nimbly, like a snake, The enemy leader''s shadow starts to lunge toward everybody else''s shadow...


    Strangely enough, his shadow first swiftly connects with his comrades'' shadows one by one and only after that does it launch its full assault on team-Yagura, but it all happens so fast that any delay in attack is hardly noticeable.


    He successfully managed to get Ruka''s and Utakata''s shadows, freezing them in place with his, Nara clans'' shadow jutsu.


    Zabuza barely manages to avoid it. ''That was close, so he was a Nara clan member, a talented one at that. The way he first connected his shadow with his companions'', giving himself a longer range, was impressive.''


    Ensui, taking advantage of this moment, commands his group to retreat, even pulling back the injured ones with his Shadow Manipulation Jutsu.


    The Genins try to pursue, but are called off by Yagura. "Don''t waste your energy, there could be more of them around. We are here on a rescue mission, not to fight."


    The Genins nod their heads. It''s hard to disagree with this line of logic. Besides, the battle wasn''t all for nothing. All of them turn their heads to look at their prize...


    An enemy shinobi got left behind in all that chaos, stuck to the ground by Utakata''s Slime Bubble Jutsu. Even that Nara clan member couldn''t drag this poor guy back in time.


    .


    .


    .


    Following their battle, Team-6 doesn''t remain at the same place for long.


    Any minute, the enemy could have come back with reinforcement... So, there was no time to celebrate their first victory against some real shinobis.


    They quickly needed to make a run for it.


    Fortunately, right after leaving the place; when they are completely covered by the dark canopy of a large tree, the ninja-dog also returns, having informed their allies of their arrival.


    Zabuza asks the ninken how it took so long when all it had to do was teleport from place to place.


    The dog refutes: "It''s not teleportation. Self-summoning is different from a contractor summoning us. To self-summon ourselves, a ninken like me has to first make a telepathic link with our faraway contractor, which obviously takes some time and effort."The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The dog reveals, but contrary to its expectation, not only do the humans not praise its great ability, the whole team gives the dog a weird look, as if it took their lunch money or something.


    "So you can talk normally like this?" Zabuza questions.


    "Must have heard wrong, you have," the dog barks hurriedly, trying to save its sinking ship.


    Obviously, no one was buying it.


    Luckily for the dog however, Yagura stops his student from interrogating the dog any further; they have more pressing matters to worry about. "Where are we going to meet our comrades?" he asks the dog.


    Maybe out of shame, the ninken drops its head and starts explaining.


    "They are hiding in a cave for the time being. The enemy hasn''t found them yet as Ch¨±kichi, the greatest sensory-nin of Kirigakure, is with them, so they are safe for the time being."


    While it explains, the four shinobis keenly listen to the dog.


    "Ch¨±kichi has put up a concealing barrier around the cave to prevent any other sensory-nin from detecting their hideout."


    Yagura wasn''t expecting this. After all, the situation doesn''t seem very urgent. Still, he tries not to jump to any conclusions, deciding to wait for the dog to further explain the situation.


    "The problem, however, is that Ch¨±kichi is heavily wounded. If he isn''t treated quickly, he could collapse at any moment. Worse, he could even lose his life. If that were to happen, the barrier will also go down with him, and without the barrier..."


    "Everyone else will die as well," Yagura concludes, finishing the brewing forecast.


    The dog slightly nods. "Correct! Those exhausted and injured shinobis are in no shape to survive yet another enemy assault."


    "Then we have to hurry!!" Ruka exclaims.


    Yagura agrees. "Right! So where is this cave?"


    "Follow me."


    They closely trail behind the ninken as it leads the way...


    After facing numerous obstacles while traversing a treacherous track concealed amongst thick vegetation and undergrowth, the team finally arrives at the cave entrance. Along the way, there weren''t even any trees for them to continuously hop along.


    While entering the cave, Zabuza questions the dog. "Are you sure that was the correct path? Matter of fact, can that even be considered an actual path?" But the dog doesn''t reply.


    A little further ahead in the tunnel-like cave, their team is stopped by a fellow Kirigakure shinobi, who, after confirming their identity, welcomes them with a relieved smile. He must have been expecting their arrival.


    Going forward, they encounter two other bandaged-up Kirigakure shinobis acting as guards.


    Their team stops when the tunnel itself stops, ending in a wide area.


    The place is lit up with electric flashlights, a seemingly out-of-place object for a world mainly focused on ninjutsu rather than science, but maybe in this world, these two aren''t very far apart from each other.


    Still, the atmosphere in the cave, as anyone could have guessed, doesn''t seem to resemble the illumination of the lights.


    The brightness in this place contrasts with the dark, solemn faces of the injured Kirigakure shinobis who are squirming in pain, their faces down with visible helplessness.


    Just then, a girl walks up to them. She introduces herself after greeting this group of four young-looking shinobis and a dog.


    "My name is Mei Terumi. I am one of the only four shinobis here who is uninjured, so I, along with the other three, are taking care of things here. You all must be Team-Yagura, right?"

 Tools

    The young girl courteously inquires the boy in front of her, whom she has discerned as the team leader.


    "Yes! We are Team-6 led by me, Yagura Karatachi."


    Mei, the fifth Mizukage, is obviously a familiar figure to Zabuza. ''Who would have thought I would get to meet her here!''


    Zabuza finds the situation a surprisingly good opportunity to observe the future Mizukage in action. Though now with him in the fray, it is uncertain whether the future will go as it is supposed to.


    It isn''t only Zabuza that knows the girl.


    His teammates also seem to recognize this genius, who after just graduating from the academy, has been making waves for the past year.


    Immediately, Ruka steps forward with a suggestion "I am Ruka. I know some medical ninjutsu, so please let me help with the treatment of the injured." It''s rather rare for her to step up like this.


    Hearing Ruka, Mei''s face lights up a little. "Thank you. It will be a great help if you do so."


    "No, no, you don''t have to thank me. My abilities aren''t very praiseworthy. Rather, you will likely be disappointed by how little I can do," The girl nervously responds.


    Mei takes Ruka to the injured. Another medical-nin is already tirelessly at the spot, exhausted but still trying to heal his fellow villagers. Ruka swiftly joins the man.


    Although she is inexperienced at the task, some help is always better than nothing. At the very least, her help provides the man with some breathing space.


    On the other hand, Zabuza casually looks around the cave and notices a particular person that stands out. He brings his teammates'' attention to it.


    "Look, that man sitting cross-legged at the center, wouldn''t he be the guy thats maintaining the concealing barrier?"


    "It is," Yagura confirms. He, of course, had already identified Ch¨±kichi long before his student had, but he judged, disturbing the man who''s maintaining the barrier to not be the right call.


    Not wanting the man to lose focus, Yagura decides to wait for him to open his eyes on his own. He also instructs his students to do the same.


    As it happened, it wouldn''t take long for Ch¨±kichi to wake from his meditative state and rise from his place.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Seeing this, Yagura and his two students walk up to the man. However, to their surprise, as they were about to speak, Ch¨±kichi himself hits up the conversation, before they could even open their mouths.


    "Thank you, Yagura-san, for coming to our rescue. It is wonderful meeting a young talent like you. As you must have already heard, I am Ch¨±kichi. Pleasure to meet you."


    Yagura scratches the back of his head, presenting a humble gesture. "Haha, you jest. As a junior, being able to meet you, the pleasure is of course all mine." he talks, as if he actually means it.


    Further adding...


    "Having before always seen each other from a distance, who would have thought it would be in such a condition that we would get a chance to start a conversation?" Yagura, like a diplomat, stops the boring pleasantries and moves on to the matter at hand.


    "Yes, it is truly unfortunate. Still, I am sure with you and your team''s help, we can break out of the enemy line. Unfortunately, as you can see, I wouldn''t be of much help."


    Dejectedly, he reveals his arm, or more accurately what remains of it, slightly below his elbow his is missing. And if that wasn''t enough, he is also bleeding through his bandaged stomach, the wound seems to have opened up, recently.


    It''s a wonder how the man still stands. Truly, one has to praise a shinobi''s tenacity.


    "But it seems some won''t be able to make it. I am sure you and others whose injuries aren''t in critical state will, but those three I am not so sure. . . . We can''t have them drag us down, so carrying them with us is out of the question. We have to prioritize protecting the ones who can still move."


    Ch¨±kichi remains silent.


    Even though he is a shinobi of Kirigakure, he is an honorable man. His love for his village is truly unmatched. Even during the war, when he was brought back with the reanimation jutsu, he was still continuously trying to resist the accursed jutsu, a testament to his loyalty.


    However, Yagura wasn''t having it. A rationalist like him would always choose the most efficient and risk-free way to solve any problem, so he again speaks.


    "In any case, with their condition, they won''t even last long enough to get proper treatment, regardless if we somehow successfully manage to escape from this place or not."


    Truthfully, Chukichi had already understood what he needed to do in such a situation. He knew the greatest mercy he could give to his fellow villagers; who are walking between two world, is the cold embrace of death... But even so, he hadn''t been brave enough to act on it.


    Being a Kirigakure shinobi didn''t mean being a heartless machine. Like the majority of shinobis, he is also only a human after all.


    Zabuza to the side observing the two, couldn''t help but see the two jonins as two sides of the same coin, both wanting to save people, however through vastly different approaches.


    Nevertheless, he has clearly understood one thing today; living as a shinobi means killing as one. Tools of war are supposed to be just that... tools.


    Choice? There is no such thing.


    In the first place, the injured shinobi or even Ch¨±kichi never had any say in their fate. If people really got to choose their own destiny, the world wouldn''t be so sad.


    Without uttering any more words, Ch¨±kichi and Yagura slowly approach the two unconscious shinobis, whose deaths as a result of their injuries, were all but certain.


    They do what needed to be done, a deed of betrayal that forever stains their hands, with the blood of their own comrades.