A man with short black hair, his forehead protector tilted slightly to the left, the lower half of his face and neck wrapped in bandages, scanned the members of Team 7 with a murderous glint in his eyes.
"So it's the rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist... the Demon, Zabuza Momochi."
Kakashi, upon seeing the intruder's face, spoke slowly but steadily, his body gradually tensing.
What he had assumed to be an average Jōnin-level enemy was clearly something far more troublesome.
"Zabuza Momochi. A former Mist Village prodigy. The second wielder of the Executioner's Blade, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Earned the title 'Demon' after killing all of his fellow Genin during the Academy's graduation exam at the age of nine. Specializes in Water Release and assassination techniques—especially the Silent Killing technique. Attempted to assassinate the Mizukage, but failed and fled the village, becoming a missing-nin."
Naruto's voice cut through the silence, halting what was surely about to be a typical exchange of dramatic boasts between elite shinobi. He laid out Zabuza's résumé flatly and without ceremony.
In early Naruto arcs, it was almost a tradition:
"I'm XXX, I've done YYY, and I'm awesome!"
"Oh yeah? I'm ZZZ, I've done WWW, and I'm also awesome!"
Fight.
Zabuza turned to Naruto, eyes narrowing. "Little brat, you know a lot about me."
With that, an intense bloodlust flooded the area.
Unbothered, Naruto calmly replied, "I read about you in Lord Danzo's records. He collects intel on all powerful shinobi."
No need to ask—Danzo had files on everyone worth knowing.
Zabuza's killing intent would've needed to be a hundred times more intense just to make Naruto blink.
Of everyone in Team 7, only Sakura trembled under the pressure.
Having a weak link in the team could create cascading complications in a real mission. This was exactly why Naruto had wanted Sakura removed in the first place.
Unfortunately, the Third Hokage insisted on playing politics.
Naruto patted Sasuke's shoulder and said casually, "Sasuke, your mission is to defeat this former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Alone."
"He's no weaker than Kakashi—a worthy opponent."
Zabuza glanced at Sasuke with disinterest, noticing that even under his killing intent, the boy stood firm.
"Really? You want this brat to come die for you, Kakashi?" he sneered.
"I believe in my student," Kakashi replied with his usual laid-back tone.
When it came to ambush scenarios, he might just be the most relaxed Jōnin team leader ever.
Three out of his four Genin were almost as strong as him.
He gave Zabuza a moment of silent sympathy.
---
"Hmph. Since you insist, I'll stop holding back."
Zabuza stepped onto the water's surface and raised his hand, striking a pose like the Statue of Liberty.
"Ninjutsu: Hidden Mist Technique!"
A thick white mist rolled out, blanketing the entire forest.
Zabuza's signature—the Silent Killing Technique.
He was known as the Hidden Mist's top assassin for a reason.
---
"Eight points."
Zabuza's voice echoed from all directions. The fog, now infused with his chakra, gave him complete vision while depriving his enemies of the same.
The advantage was his.
"Throat. Spine. Lungs. Heart…"
His voice grew darker, more oppressive.
"Which part do you want me to cut first? Heh heh heh…"
First, obscure vision. Then, apply psychological pressure. And finally, find the perfect moment to strike and kill.
More than assassination, this was psychological warfare.
Zabuza had refined his method into a full combat doctrine. In the shinobi world, anyone who has developed a full personal fighting system is not to be underestimated.
In the original story, Zabuza had been the first true boss, dominating Team 7 and demonstrating the sheer terror of a real ninja.
He even laid the groundwork for some of the series' most iconic fights—"The Puppet Master Sixth Hokage," "The Foot that Stomped Indra Reborn," and "The Fist That Floored the Seventh."
Neither Madara nor Kaguya ever matched that resume.
But unfortunately for Zabuza…
This was Team 7: Overclocked Edition.
---
To Naruto, Zabuza was like a torch in the night—impossible to miss. Unless he completely suppressed his chakra, Naruto would always sense him.
And Karin, with her Kagura's Mind Eye, could detect him even more easily.
Everything Zabuza did—including the moment he picked his nose—was fully visible to both of them.
Then there was Kakashi and Sasuke, both wielders of the Sharingan.
While not as precise as the Byakugan, Sharingan still allowed them to see chakra flow and predict movements.
Only Sakura and the drunkard Tazuna were truly in the dark.
Zabuza's shadow loomed beside Tazuna, his massive Executioner's Blade raised to strike down the mission target.
One clean kill would end this entire mission.
No need for a drawn-out fight.
Zabuza wasn't stupid.
---
But before the blade could fall, Sasuke blurred into position in front of Tazuna, parrying with a kunai and immediately retaliating with a flying kick.
Splash!
Zabuza turned into a puddle of water.
A Water Clone.
"Not bad, kid," Zabuza's voice called from behind Sasuke as his giant sword slashed downward.
Ssshhh!
Sasuke was sliced in half.
But his body flickered and dissolved—just an afterimage.
Afterimage Strike.
Not a standard Shadow Clone jutsu, but a high-speed movement technique. It didn't require hand signs—just raw speed.
Much more practical in real combat.
Clang!
Sasuke appeared behind Zabuza, thrusting his kunai into what should have been his back.
Splash.
Another Water Clone.
"Well done. You took out one of my clones in a single blow," Zabuza's voice returned, yet again from behind.
"I admit—your power is real."
"But unfortunately…"
"You have no combat experience."
With that, Zabuza swung down again with his Executioner's Blade—this time to truly split Sasuke in two.
Ssshhh!
The body faded once more.
Another afterimage.
---
"Behind!"
Zabuza instinctively shifted his weight, pivoting with a home-run swing behind him.
Once again, Sasuke was cleaved in two.
'Heh… Not bad, kid. But too ba—wait, huh?!'
Splash.
Still another afterimage.
Zabuza had used four Water Clones.
Sasuke had now matched him with three afterimages.
---
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Sasuke's voice rang out from behind again.
A massive fireball exploded outward, engulfing Zabuza completely.
For the first time, Sasuke had used a ninjutsu technique.
Unfortunately… he used Fire Release.
lmao
Who in the later arcs actually died from a fireball?
---
"Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!"
Zabuza's voice came yet again, for the fourth time, from behind.
A blue sphere of water rose and enveloped Sasuke—trapping him inside.
Nope, the one just hit by the fireball? Still a Water Clone.
Zabuza was going full-on stealth ops, endlessly circling and replacing.
It was a full-blown infinite flanking battle.
---
Off to the side, Naruto silently mouthed the words:
"Let him keep showing off."
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