The group rode a boat across the calm sea and soon docked at the Land of Waves' port.
On the way there, the one clutching a book the whole time had become Sasuke, who even chuckled to himself now and then while reading.
If Naruto hadn't reminded him multiple times, he was seriously worried this guy was break into the usual Uchiha maniacal laughter.
However, what really surprised both Sakura and Naruto was that Kakashi had been spacing out the whole trip.
'This couldn't be right...'
'Why didn't Kakashi-sensei take out his book?'
'Had he finished reading it?'
However, what they didn't know was that Kakashi was mentally miserable right now.
For Kakashi, not reading Icha-Icha Paradise is like Asuma not smoking and Tsunade not gambling.
Kakashi never imagined he'd go through actual withdrawal symptoms.
Along the way, the only thing that helped keep him sane was watching the fish in the sea.
"Sasuke, stop reading."
"We're going ashore."
When Naruto stepped off the boat, he found that Sasuke was still holding the book. A wave of irritation hit him out of nowhere.
For the first time, he kind of understood how his mother must've felt watching him glued to his phone back in his previous life.
'Damn it!'
'We're about to face a Boos, but he is still out here reading a novel.'
'We already had one useless baggage in the form of AFK Lord, Kakashi, plus the mascot character, Sakura...'
'If you, Uchiha Sasuke, decided to slack off too, this party would be doomed!'
'I'd have to face Zabuza and Haku all by myself...'
To be honest, Naruto was still a little unsure about doing that.
After all, he wasn't exactly Ip Man, and he still can't take on ten guys at once.
Therefore, having even one decent DPS teammate would help a lot.
"Oh."
Sasuke reluctantly closed the book. He had never expected that he would be so engrossed in reading it.
'However, that book is really well written...'
The more of the story he read, the more exhilarated he felt. It was as if he could also be the protagonist and take revenge.
He even began to imagine himself shouting those words to Itachi in anger on the night of the genocide...
"Thirty years in Hedong and 30 years in Hexi, Uchiha Itachi, don't bully the young and poor!"
Just thinking about it made Sasuke's scalp tingle, his whole body shivered with excitement, and he let out another uncontrollable chuckle.
After seeing that everyone had already gone ashore, he lovingly stroked the book's cover, then put it into his backpack like it was treasure, and then followed everyone else.
Even as he walked, Sasuke was still caught up in imagining what would happen next in the story. Eventually, curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to Naruto and asked, "Naruto..."
"Hmm?"
"Did Xiao Yan fulfill the Three Year Agreement in the end?"
Naruto turned his head and looked at the boy in shock.
He was on alert of the surroundings the whole time, fearing that Zabuza might jump out any second and cut them down.
Just now, when Naruto saw Sasuke approaching him, he thought Sasuke might have discovered something...
As a result, he comes to him and ask about the Three Year Agreement!?
'Are you f***ing serious right now!?'
"I don't know! Get lost!"
Naruto shouted angrily, indicating that he didn't want to pay attention to the other party.
Rejected by his teammates, Sasuke returned to the back with a disappointed look on his face.
Naruto took a look at Sasuke and felt that he should not count on this kid anymore.
'It seems that I can only place my hope on the big fox…'
"Big Fox, can you help me sense where the enemies are?"
"The thing you did back in the village before."
Kurama was sleeping in the cage. He wiggled his ears twice, flipped his huge body, and then muttered in a low grumble, "You're thinking of relying on me in your first battle?"
"Figure it out yourself."
Because this was Naruto's first serious battle, Kurama wanted him to adapt on his own, so it was naturally impossible for him to turn on the malice sensing to give Naruto a map hack.
And at the moment Kurama closed his eyes, he added under his breath, "The enemies are close by. Find them yourself."
Hearing this, Naruto almost burst out laughing.
'Heh. You tsundere orange fuzzball!'
With Kurama's hint, Naruto instantly went into alert mode, constantly scanning his surroundings with his eyes.
At the same time, the mist around them grew thicker by the second, and the visibility dropped below five meters. If this kept up, they'd all be practically blind soon.
"Everyone, close in on me!"
"Protect the client!"
Kakashi was indeed an experienced Shinobi, as he noticed something was wrong in an instant.
It is normal to have foggy days in the Land of Waves, but in this situation where there is no one around and the mist is getting thicker, it is inevitable to think of the Kirigakure's Shinobi.
The feeling he had on the battlefield made Kakashi feel uneasy again.
After hearing this, the three Genin of the team moved closer to Kakashi without any hesitation and surrounded Tazuna in the center.
Naruto stood still, glancing left and right. Not only was there no sign of Zabuza, the oppressive atmosphere was making him increasingly on edge.
'Man, not being able to see is such a pain...'
Sighing in his heart, a sudden idea struck like lightning in Naruto's head.
'Since we cannot see the enemy…'
'Wouldn't it be better if I could just make sure the other party can't see too?'
Thinking of this, Naruto clapped his hands immediately...
He tossed out dozens of portals around him.
The purple light cocoon instantly covered their figures.
Zabuza, who is hidden in the mist and already gripping his massive sword, had been just about to strike when he suddenly saw a field of swirling purple light erupt in the mist.
'Wait…'
'What the hell is that purple glow?!'
While Zabuza was still trying to process this turn of events, he heard the voice of a kid coming from the other side of the purple light cocoon.
"Kirigakure's Shinobi, I curse your entire bloodline!"
Naruto opened his mouth and started cursing wildly in every direction, trying to provoke the hidden enemy into showing himself.
However, after Naruto finished 'greeting' the other party's ancestors for three generations or more, Zabuza still did not show up.
Seeing this, Naruto couldn't help but sigh, 'So this is what they mean by Shinobi… someone who can endure anything, huh?!'
'Jiraiya-sensei… I get it now!'
Zabuza, who is watching from the shadows, was very disdainful of Naruto's behavior.
'You think that childish trick can make me show myself?'
'Since I have been able to survive in the Blood Mist, I have no emotions anymore and my heart is as cold as the sword in my hand.'
'So ridiculous!'
At this moment, Naruto's voice suddenly came from the mist again...
"All Kirigakure's Shinobi like men."
When Zabuza heard this, he couldn't help but think of Haku's beautiful figure...
His eyes widened, veins on his forehead throbbed, his breathing became rapid, and the blood in his body surged from his heels straight to the crown of his head.
'Damn it!'
'How dare that brat slander me!?'
"You damn brat!"
"I'm going to kill you!!"
Zabuza dragged his Kubikiribocho and rushed straight to the place where the voice came from.
However, the moment Zabuza opened his mouth, that same brat's voice sounded again, this time in rapid-fire.
"Yo, yo yo, you mad bro?"
"No way, no way~"
"Don't tell me you actually do like guys?"