Chapter 42: Mist

Forest

"Heh heh, here he comes, here he comes. This time, I can't, I won't lose to Sasuke again," Naruto thought, seeing the ninja appear ahead. He didn't realize the danger and was eager to charge forward.

At that moment, Kakashi extended a hand, stopping Naruto. "Don't be reckless. Everyone, fall back. Those two guys from before are nothing compared to him," he said, stepping forward and revealing the eye that had been hidden behind his forehead protector. A crimson eye watched Zabuza Momochi warily.

"Sharingan Kakashi, Konoha's Copy Ninja, the man who's copied over a thousand jutsu. As someone who was once part of Kirigakure's ANBU Black Ops, I have your information in my bingo book. Heh, it's a great honor to face you," Zabuza said, looking at Kakashi's crimson Sharingan.

"Sharingan!!!" Sasuke exclaimed.

"Huh? What's the Sharingan, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, hearing a new term, a little confused.

"Users of dojutsu can see through genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu with their visual prowess, and can counter them perfectly. The Sharingan is a special type of eye unique to dojutsu users," Sasuke explained to Naruto. It was clear that even Sasuke recognized the caliber of their opponent, and he didn't have the patience for bickering with Naruto.

"Oh? Then isn't Kakashi-sensei super strong?" Naruto said excitedly.

"The Sharingan, why does he have it? Even within the Uchiha clan, only a select few can awaken it!!" Sasuke thought, ignoring Naruto, a bit puzzled.

"Alright, Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, now is the time to test your teamwork. I'll handle Zabuza. You three protect Mr. Tazuna," Kakashi instructed his subordinates seriously. "Zabuza was once part of the ANBU Black Ops, renowned for his Silent Killing technique. Don't let your guard down, or you might lose your life before you even realize it."

"Gulp," Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura swallowed simultaneously and instantly formed a protective circle around Tazuna.

Zabuza didn't speak further. "Hidden Mist Jutsu." Zabuza formed hand seals, and the surrounding area was instantly engulfed in a thick fog. Visibility was drastically reduced. Sakura tried to sense her surroundings with her chakra, but she couldn't detect anything. The fog was saturated with Zabuza's chakra, disrupting her senses. She had already activated her Hardening Technique to its maximum, covering her vital organs, but she still felt uneasy.

"Throat, kidneys, heart..." Zabuza's menacing voice echoed through the air.

Now, in this thick fog, Zabuza had the home-field advantage. Sakura had no idea where he was. The air was filled with a terrifying killing intent. Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura suddenly noticed Sasuke's body trembling uncontrollably. Wait, why is Sasuke shaking so much? Could he be overwhelmed by this killing intent? But Naruto isn't reacting like that, Sakura thought, looking at Naruto.

Sakura saw Sasuke still trembling, a fearful expression on his face, so she tried to comfort him. "Sasuke, don't worry. I'll protect you."

Hearing Sakura's words, Sasuke's body instantly stopped trembling, and his expression returned to normal. His usual arrogance resurfaced. "Hmph, who needs your protection? You should worry about protecting yourself."

"Such a boastful brat, talking about protecting others. Then I'll kill you first," the voice came from all directions.

Sakura inwardly groaned. Why is he targeting me? Suddenly, she felt a chill behind her. Without thinking, she immediately dodged to the side, but it was too late. The Executioner's Blade instantly sliced Sakura in two.

"Sakura!!!" "Sakura-chan!!!"

Two shouts came from the side. Kakashi had initially thought Zabuza would target him, but to his surprise, Zabuza had gone after Naruto and the others. Because he was some distance away, he couldn't get there in time, and he watched helplessly as Sakura was cut in half.

"Wait, this feeling isn't right." When Zabuza cut Sakura in two, he thought he'd taken out one opponent, but he suddenly felt that the sensation of the blade cutting was off. Zabuza had cut down countless people, and he instantly realized this wasn't the feeling of cutting through a human body.

Zabuza quickly dodged to the side, but it was still too late. A silver-white jet of water erupted from the ground, piercing Zabuza's head.

"Got him," Sakura emerged from the ground. When the Executioner's Blade had come flying, Sakura had used the moment she'd dropped to the ground to switch places with a Water Clone. She'd been hiding underground, waiting for an opportunity, using Earth Style. Sakura was so cautious; how could she not have multiple backup plans?

Sakura stood up, brushed the dirt off her clothes, and looked at the Zabuza she'd supposedly killed.

"What!!! How is this possible!!!"

There was no Zabuza in front of her, only a puddle of water. That Zabuza had only been a Water Clone. Due to the aftereffects of her transmigration, and because so much time had passed, Sakura couldn't remember the details of how Team 7 had defeated Zabuza. She only knew that they would encounter him, and that Team 7 would ultimately overcome the challenge without any serious casualties. The details of how they defeated him were blurry.

Sakura instantly felt a sense of danger. She once again covered her entire body with the Hardening Technique. This time, it was her real body. If Zabuza managed to land a hit, she'd really be meeting the Sage of Six Paths for tea. True enough, Zabuza instantly appeared behind Sakura.

"Hahahaha, you little brat, you really surprised me. But this is the end," Zabuza said from behind Sakura, raising the Executioner's Blade to strike.

Just then, Kakashi finally appeared in front of Zabuza, blocking Sakura, and raised his kunai to intercept the Executioner's Blade.

"Sakura, fall back. Form a Manji formation with Naruto and Sasuke and be on guard," Kakashi said to Sakura.

Seeing Kakashi block Zabuza, Sakura didn't hesitate. She immediately ran towards Naruto and Sasuke, pulling out a kunai, and assuming a defensive stance. Jonin were indeed not so easily dealt with. If that attack had landed, even if she hadn't been cut in half, she would have been seriously injured. She was still lacking in experience; she'd thought that a single successful attack would be enough to take down Zabuza.

Most ninja battles were a contest of battle IQ, analysis of jutsu, and mental fortitude. To think that learning a few super-powerful ninjutsu would be enough to defeat an experienced jonin was delusional. Because if you knew deadly ninjutsu, your opponent would too. If your ninjutsu could kill in one hit, your opponent's ninjutsu could also kill in one hit. Battles were ever-changing; only by seizing the right opportunity and delivering a decisive blow could a ninja truly win.

Sakura still lacked many things. Although she'd trained under Tsunade for three years, due to Tsunade's own issues, Sakura hadn't had many opportunities for practical experience. Tsunade, through observation, had judged that Sakura was capable of learning the Yin Seal, and only then had she taught it to her. If Sakura hadn't possessed that aptitude, Tsunade would have simply fulfilled the Third Hokage's orders and taught Sakura basic medical ninjutsu.