Chapter 75: Battle with Zabuza

The team continued on their journey. Sasuke and the others weren't sure what agreement Aoba had reached with Tazuna; they only knew the mission was still on.

The journey was peaceful for a few days, but Aoba knew that since the Demon Brothers had appeared, Zabuza was likely watching them, just as in the original story.

He had no reason to fear Zabuza now, though he found this traditional ninja quite interesting.

Aside from wielding the large Executioner's Blade, which wasn't typical of ninja, Zabuza's techniques, as shown in the story, were classic.

Starting with the Hidden Mist Technique, he used water clones to mislead his opponents, followed by ninjutsu hand seals.

Many fans used to call Kisame the "honest ninja," but he felt that Zabuza was much the same—a very traditional type of shinobi.

As they passed through a forested area, Karin's face suddenly tensed.

"Aoba-sensei, there's…"

Before she could finish, a whistling sound filled the air above.

"Get down!" Aoba shouted, using the Body Flicker Technique to intercept and catch the incoming Executioner's Blade with one hand.

The powerful impact forced him back several meters, but ultimately, he managed to bring the blade to a stop in his grip.

In the distance, Zabuza: "…"

Aoba casually planted the blade into the ground in front of him, then looked up toward the tall figure standing on a tree branch.

Zabuza was a large, muscular man. Normally when he had his massive blade on his back, he looked more like a warrior than a ninja.

"What immense chakra… he's on a different level from those other two," Karin muttered. Her sensory skills confirmed Zabuza's strength, far surpassing that of the previous attackers.

"Team 7, prepare for combat."

"Alright, watch me!" As soon as Aoba finished speaking, Naruto charged forward, eager to prove himself.

"Idiot," Sasuke cursed, reluctantly following. He had enough battle experience to recognize Zabuza's threat level. Only Naruto, ever the reckless one, would charge in without hesitation.

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto created a swarm of clones, momentarily startling Zabuza.

This kid has so much chakra?

However, Naruto's weakness was soon apparent. His taijutsu was decent among his peers, but against a master like Zabuza, he was little more than fodder.

Even without the Executioner's Blade, Zabuza took out the clones effortlessly with a single punch each.

"So it's just for show," he muttered.

Sasuke then attacked from the side, launching six shuriken. Zabuza sidestepped, only to notice thin steel wires wrapped around the shuriken.

"Is this… the Uchiha clan's shuriken technique? It's been a while."

In the past, the Uchiha had often been pitted against the Hidden Mist, so the Mist ninjas were very familiar with their signature throwing techniques.

"Manipulated Shuriken Technique." Sasuke controlled the wires to entrap Zabuza from all sides, tightening them around him.

"Got you!" he yelled, only to see Zabuza dissolve into a pool of water.

"A Water Clone. Damn! Tazuna-san!"

Zabuza, now wielding a kunai, appeared right in front of Tazuna.

"Mission complete."

Not bothering with Naruto and Sasuke, Zabuza demonstrated his efficiency by bypassing them to directly target Tazuna.

"Earth Style: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!"

A hand suddenly shot out from the ground, grabbing Zabuza's leg and pulling him into the earth.

Karin had struck at the perfect moment, but Aoba still shook his head slightly, disappointed.

Although Zabuza was a traditional ninjutsu user, his speed was leagues ahead of the three genin.

In the instant before Karin's attack connected, Zabuza had already used a Water Clone to evade.

"Interesting. As expected of the team led by Konoha's Wind-Chasing Sword. I suppose it's time for me to get serious. Hidden Mist Technique."

A thick mist quickly spread, covering the entire forest and concealing Zabuza's figure.

"Damn, I can't see anything! Why don't you come out and face us directly!" Naruto shouted, his patience wearing thin. Karin had had enough of his antics.

"You two idiots, all we have to do is protect Tazuna-san. That'll force him to show himself. Get back here!"

The Hidden Mist Technique wasn't just ordinary fog, and standard Wind Style wouldn't disperse it. Strategically, Karin's plan was sound. However, the trio's coordination was lacking, and they didn't fully understand Zabuza's strength.

The three quickly formed a defensive stance around Tazuna, but that only made them an easier target for ninjutsu.

"Water Style: Waterfall Jutsu."

Instead of sneaking through the mist for an assassination, Zabuza opted for a large-scale Water Style technique to flood all four of them.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!" Karin channeled chakra to raise an earthen barrier, blocking the brunt of the waterfall.

However, the rushing water still engulfed them entirely.

The three could walk on water, barely managing to keep Tazuna upright in the torrent. At this point, Aoba knew the trio had lost.

During the surge, Zabuza had used the water flow to slip beneath them. Karin, too focused on maintaining the earth wall, hadn't had the chance to use her sensory ability to detect him. As a result, they had lost the upper hand.

Against an elite jonin like Zabuza, losing the advantage was essentially a death sentence for genin.

The sound of a whirring blade filled the air as the Executioner's Blade suddenly sliced toward their feet.

Startled, the three realized Zabuza had somehow closed the distance.

With a loud splash, the water exploded, and Zabuza sprang out, prepared to strike—but failed to hit any of them, as the Executioner's Blade flew right back toward his own face.

With a clang, he barely managed to block the blade. But in the next instant, Aoba appeared directly in front of him.

"So fast!" was the only thought Zabuza had before he was struck.

Aoba pressed his right hand against Zabuza's chest, and a blast of compressed air exploded from his palm.

With a bang, Zabuza felt as if a massive hammer had struck his chest. He coughed up blood as he was sent flying several dozen meters, crashing heavily into a tree.

"Ugh… cough… cough…" Zabuza clutched his chest, barely able to stand after that single blow.

The difference in power… it was staggering. No wonder they said he'd fought the Raikage to a draw. This guy was as strong as the famed White Fang.

A wave of sadness washed over Zabuza. He had always been a traditional ninja. His past assassination attempt was his attempt to save the Hidden Mist. Living as a rogue ninja all these years, he'd only ever wanted to gather enough power to one day return to his village.

But now, it seemed everything would end today.

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Currently on Chapter 116 - Negotiations for Sungakure