CHAPTER 42

Sure enough, although it was a bit unexpected, Kakashi still managed to dispel the water clone in front of him and turned in time to block Zabuza's sneak attack.

However, because he was just a step too late in finishing off the clone, he was caught in a close-quarters clash and got kicked into the nearby river.

"Water Style: Water Prison Technique!"

Seeing Kakashi fall into the water, Zabuza smirked coldly, quickly stepped forward, and unleashed the ninjutsu he had prepared in advance.

It turned out that from the very beginning, he never expected to take down the famous Copy Ninja so easily. Everything up to now had been to drive Kakashi into the river and trap him using the Water Prison Technique.

After all, his mission wasn't to defeat Kakashi—it was to assassinate Tazuna. His strategy from the outset was to restrict Kakashi's movements long enough to get to his real target.

This was no surprise—Zabuza wasn't just some brute force ninja. He had once tried to kill the Mizukage, survived the bloody mist graduation exam, and even escaped the pursuit of Kirigakure's Hunter-nin Corps. His strength and tactical mind were on par with elite jonin like Kakashi.

Although his entrance had a small flaw—his Executioner's Blade was snatched away by Carl—that was just part of the unpredictability of ninja combat. Intelligence plays just as important a role as strength. He had full intel on Kakashi… but none on Carl. Surprises were bound to happen.

It's like going into battle thinking you're fighting an equal opponent, only to find one of their foot soldiers fights like Goku . Even Shikamaru couldn't account for that in advance.

Even someone like Kakashi can't break free from a properly executed Water Prison Technique—not easily, anyway. But in the same breath, Zabuza's main body must stay rooted in place to maintain the jutsu.

That's why Zabuza had a plan.

With one hand keeping Kakashi locked in the prison, he used the other to create another water clone.

"I've been waiting for this moment!"

Seeing the water clone slowly approaching their position, Carl picked up his heavy Zen staff and walked forward to intercept.

"You guys protect Mr. Tazuna. I'll take care of him!"

The confrontation between Zabuza and Kakashi had shaken the confidence of the three young ninjas. Even the usually composed Sasuke trembled slightly, his grip on his kunai unsteady as he watched Zabuza approach step by step.

Fortunately, besides Kakashi, there was Carl, who was clearly far stronger than any of them.

"Monk, you just barely qualify to be listed in my personal handbook," Zabuza sneered. "But it's pointless now!"

Wielding his kunai once again, Zabuza launched himself at Carl like a bolt of lightning—wasting no time.

Any ninja worthy of being listed in his handbook had earned his respect. But if that person was about to die, there was no need to add the name.

"Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura—take Mr. Tazuna and fall back a bit," Kakashi ordered from within the water prison. "That water clone can't go too far from Zabuza's real body."

He then looked toward Carl.

"Carl, don't go head-on. All you need to do is hold him off for five minutes. His water clone will dissolve on its own. With the chakra I have left, if I create just one more shadow clone, I can break the Water Prison!"

Though Kakashi was trapped, his mind was still sharp, quickly devising a plan to turn the tide.

Right now, he was grateful that someone as skilled as Carl, a ninja monk from the Fire Temple, had joined the mission. Without Carl, things would have taken a turn for the worse. Against Zabuza's clone, the Naruto trio wouldn't have stood a chance.

"Five minutes? That's not too bad."

Facing Zabuza's lightning-fast charge, Carl gripped his heavy Zen staff with both hands, rooted his stance, and met the assault with unshakable calm. He unleashed a powerful, no-frills staff technique rooted in Shaolin Dharma training.

It was a style he had once learned from a Shaolin disciple—its movements were simple, but they channeled the full destructive force of the Zen staff.

Carl knew that taking down an elite jonin like Zabuza head-on wasn't realistic, even with all his hidden trump cards. But surviving five minutes? That, he could do.

Part of him had even wanted this outcome—an excuse to go one-on-one with Zabuza's clone and get a clearer grasp of his own strength.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The sound of metal meeting metal echoed through the mist as the staff collided with Zabuza's kunai in rapid succession.

After a series of rapid, heavy metal clashes, Zabuza's water clone was forced to retreat temporarily, halting his plan to finish Carl off through close-quarters combat.

No matter how he tried, the water clone couldn't break through Carl's staff, which weighed nearly one hundred kg. It gave Zabuza no clear opening to land a decisive strike.

If he still had his Executioner's Blade, he might've been able to overpower Carl through sheer skill and brute force. But with only a kunai, every clash risked destabilizing the water clone entirely.

"So far, you've only been using taijutsu. You're not very skilled at ninjutsu, are you?" the water clone remarked as he slowly lowered his kunai, analyzing Carl carefully.

Throughout their fight, even when he was vulnerable, Carl never used ninjutsu. Instead, he met each strike head-on with physical technique alone, sometimes forcing Zabuza back with sheer resolve.

"It's true—I'm not very good at ninjutsu," Carl replied, "but lasting five minutes? That, I can do."

He knew Zabuza was testing him. That response was deliberate.

Carl wanted to shape the impression that he relied mostly on taijutsu. Not only would this help conceal his true abilities, but it could also reduce future suspicion if he needed to act in secret.

"You underestimate me too much!" Zabuza sneered as he swiftly formed hand seals:

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

With the chakra reserves of an elite jōnin, Zabuza's water clone had more than enough power to perform the formidable B-rank technique.

As the seals completed, a massive dragon formed from water surged forward, roaring through the mist as it barreled toward Carl.

Even with Carl's enhanced physique, a direct hit from a water dragon cast by an elite ninja could inflict serious damage.

Without hesitation, Carl hurled his heavy Zen staff straight into the water dragon, momentarily disrupting its trajectory, and then leapt at full speed to evade the blast radius.

There was no choice—carrying that massive staff would slow him down too much to escape in time.

"It's over!"

But the moment Carl leapt, Zabuza's water clone reappeared behind him, kunai aimed for his neck.

"Behind you! Be careful!" Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura shouted in alarm.

But if Carl had needed their warning, it would've already been too late.

"No—you're the one who's finished."

Carl's voice was calm, resolute. His eyes gleamed with anticipation—as if he'd known Zabuza would try that.

He thrust both hands forward in a sudden motion.

And then, something impossible happened.

A sharp, gleaming long sword suddenly appeared in Carl's once-empty hands, summoned out of thin air.

Before Zabuza's kunai could reach Carl's neck, Carl's blade pierced the clone's chest.

Splash!

Zabuza's clone dispersed into a puddle of water and vanished on the spot.