Zabuza truly felt a bit unlucky right now. He had only come to the Land of Waves for a new job, but instead, he ran into people from Konoha.
And these people were not ordinary. The Copy Ninja, one of the Sannin, and an unknown, but most likely, a genius that Konoha was focusing on cultivating.
Originally, he thought that encountering trouble shouldn't be a big deal, after all, he had already left Kirigakure. But he never expected to run directly into a trap.
"This is going to be bad." Zabuza cursed inwardly.
Analyzing the situation before him, he quickly deduced that fighting Kakashi and Jiraiya would be extremely difficult.
If it were one-on-one, he would be very willing to clash with the legendary Sharingan Kakashi, or even Jiraiya, one of the Sannin.
But two-on-one…
"So, the breakthrough point is on that brat!"
He didn't dare to have too many delusions about a two-on-one fight. All he could do was try his best to stall them, while relying on Haku to capture that brat.
"Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
Having thought everything through, Zabuza immediately began to act, while quietly telling Haku, who was beside him, "That brat is yours. Go all out and capture him as quickly as possible."
Zabuza trusted Haku immensely. At least, few could contend with Haku's strength among his age group.
"Yes."
Haku's expression was also a bit grim. This sudden battle made him uncomfortable as well.
But he would absolutely obey Zabuza's command. In an instant, the Chakra within him also began to surge.
"Hidden Mist Jutsu, huh, truly…"
Seeing the thickening mist around them, Jiraiya pursed his lips. This was indeed a characteristic of Kirigakure.
However, neither he nor Kakashi seemed to have any intention of stopping it.
They were about to go to the Land of Water, where the environment would only be harsher than it was now. It wasn't a bad thing to let Takemi adapt to fighting in such an environment beforehand.
"Kakashi and I will deal with Zabuza. You handle the girl beside him. No problem, right?" Jiraiya said in a low voice.
Takemi nodded, not forgetting to correct him, "That seems to be a guy…"
"?"
"His chest is flat."
"…"
Jiraiya didn't want to discuss such things with Takemi. The dense fog continued to spread, and he and Kakashi also began to get serious.
In a ninja battle, one cannot afford the slightest carelessness, especially when dealing with an elite Kirigakure ninja in a water-rich place like the Land of Waves.
After all, Kirigakure Ninjas live year-round in the Land of Water, which is surrounded by sea, rich in water vapor, and perpetually shrouded in thick fog. This makes them extremely proficient in Water Release, and even better at using dense fog to aid them in battle.
In such a water-rich environment, their combat power increases significantly, even exaggeratedly.
Even the future Kakashi almost capsized when dealing with Zabuza.
"I'll use Wind Release to disperse the fog. You quickly pinpoint his location and try to take him down as soon as possible."
"Alright."
After a brief exchange with Kakashi, Jiraiya immediately took action.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
Accompanied by the howling wind, the thick mist was instantly dispersed somewhat.
Kakashi had long been ready. His Sharingan glowed red, and in a moment, he found his target.
"He's here!"
Kakashi leaped up and went towards Zabuza, who was hidden in the mist. Jiraiya also quickly followed, the two of them closing in on Zabuza from left and right.
Clang!
In an instant, the sounds of clashing metal and roaring Ninjutsu continuously echoed within the mist.
"Zabuza-sama…"
Haku was a bit anxious, but he didn't forget his mission. Looking at Takemi not far away, he gritted his teeth and instantly launched an attack.
He was extremely fast. In a flash, he turned into an afterimage and had already appeared in front of Takemi.
"So fast…"
Takemi had been observing all of this. The moment Haku closed in, a purple light suddenly burst forth from his body.
Clink—
A crisp clashing sound rang out. The short sword instantly unsheathed, and purple lightning swept across with the sword.
"What?!"
The steel needles Haku had thrust were instantly cut off by Takemi.
"His offensive power is actually so strong?"
Although Haku was young, he was born with Ice Release as a member of the Yuki clan. Coupled with Zabuza's strict training, even if he was unwilling to kill, his strength far exceeded common imagination.
But now, all of his senbon were severed in a single strike. This was the first time he had encountered something like this.
Whoosh—
Haku was momentarily stunned, but Takemi didn't wait for him. Since he intended to force out Ice Release, Takemi wouldn't hold back at all.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—
The short sword, imbued with purple electricity, continuously swung, forcing Haku to constantly dodge.
However, no matter how much he dodged, he was still grazed by the Purple Electricity, and blood slowly seeped from his body.
"He is too fast, and his swordsmanship is terrifying. Most importantly, that purple lightning is too sharp." Haku quickly analyzed.
Seeing Takemi attack again, he instantly formed a hand seal with one hand.
Water Release: Falling Rain Needles!
With a surge of Chakra, the surrounding water mist instantly condensed, turning into sharp arrows that rapidly fell.
"Is this all you've got?"
Takemi raised an eyebrow. The short sword in his hand instantly made a series of dazzling slashes.
Accompanied by ear-piercing clashing sounds, all of these needles condensed from Water Release were blocked by him.
The next moment, he pressed forward, and another sword strike flashed.
Haku reacted extremely quickly, swiftly dodging this strike, but Takemi kicked him in the abdomen.
Bang—
Haku's body flew backward, but he immediately flipped in the air, barely managing to land and stand firm.
Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!
But at this moment, Takemi also mimicked Haku, forming a hand seal with one hand.
Boom—
A roaring fire dragon was instantly spewed out by Takemi. This fire dragon roared directly towards Haku, its scorching heat even causing the surrounding mist to subtly evaporate.
"This level of intensity…"
Haku felt the scorching heat and gritted his teeth. The next moment, cold Chakra emanated within his body.
At this moment, the surrounding dense fog seemed to be affected, showing signs of freezing.
Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome of Magnificent Nothingness!
Thick ice blocks blocked the fire dragon. The fire dragon could not truly touch him, and he formed another hand seal.
Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!
In an instant, countless mirrors formed from ice appeared, completely trapping Takemi within them, as if it were an absolute domain.
"Is this Ice Release?"
Takemi looked at the ice crystals around him, his eyebrows subtly raised. And just then, Haku's voice rang out again.
"I don't want to fight you, but you are truly going too far. For Zabuza-sama, I must go all out. I apologize!"
In a soft voice, Haku, hidden within the mirrors, raised the senbon in his hand.
The next instant, countless senbon rained down densely, filling every inch of space within the Demonic Mirroring domain, leaving no gaps.
However, Takemi suddenly laughed. He looked at Haku, hidden in the mirror, and said softly, "No need to apologize. On the contrary, I should thank you, after all…"
"You've done me a great favor!"
As soon as his words fell, the purple electricity on his body suddenly erupted, instantly filling the entire mist with its purple glow.
Even Zabuza, who was being beaten down by Jiraiya and Kakashi, realized that something was wrong.
(End of Chapter)
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