Shigure gently swung Zangetsu, flicking off the blood clinging to the blade.
His left hand lightly ran along the edge, which shimmered faintly with a cold blue glow.
"You… actually managed to injure the Demon of the Hidden Mist?"
Kakashi's voice trembled with a hint of excitement.
Zabuza Momochi—one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. A man whose name echoed across the shinobi world. An elite-level Jōnin through and through.
And yet he'd been wounded… by a mere Genin.
Yes, Zabuza had chosen to engage in a pure swordfight and avoided using ninjutsu.
But even so, it was an incredible feat for Shigure—who had only just graduated—to perform at this level on his very first mission.
Sasuke ground his teeth, his eyes locked on Zabuza, who was now visibly wounded and pushed back by Shigure.
He didn't know much about Zabuza's exact level, but after witnessing that clash…
There's no way I could fight like that.
If I had that kind of strength, I could already go after that man…
Zabuza, meanwhile, breathed heavily.
He had dodged a fatal blow, surviving by sacrificing his arm for a shallow wound. As an experienced Jōnin from Kirigakure, he wasn't so easy to kill.
He looked at his damaged Executioner's Blade, then down at the blood seeping from his arm.
He already understood.
"...Monster."
"Your swordsmanship borders on the monstrous…"
Technique and raw power—Shigure had both in terrifying quantities. Zabuza felt the pressure for the first time in a long while.
But he wasn't done yet. A slashed arm was nothing to a Mist assassin.
"Hmph… You've got talent, kid. If you were born in Kirigakure, you'd already be on track to become one of the next Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
Zabuza paused, a glint of interest in his eyes.
"Why waste that potential in Konoha? Join me. Leave this place and come to the Hidden Mist."
Even in the middle of battle, Zabuza was trying to recruit him. Shigure's talent in swordsmanship was that overwhelming.
If he were from Kirigakure, he would've already been nurtured into one of their most deadly blades.
But Shigure shook his head.
"I'm a loyal Genin of the Hidden Leaf. Why would I throw that away… to become a missing-nin like you?"
Zabuza's faint smile vanished.
His expression turned cold, eyes sharpening like his blade once had.
"Tch. So be it. Your swordsmanship may surpass mine, and I'll admit that. But remember this—a shinobi's strength lies beyond the sword."
Kakashi's brow furrowed.
"This might get tricky now…"
"Huh?" Naruto looked confused. "Didn't Shigure beat that guy down? He even made him bleed! I don't think he's that scary."
Kakashi shook his head slowly.
"No, Naruto. That was because Zabuza chose to fight using swordsmanship—his mistake was underestimating Shigure's skill with a blade."
He sighed, glancing back toward the mist rising around them.
"But now… he's changing tactics."
"A ninja's greatest strength," Kakashi said gravely, "is ninjutsu."
"Shigure's swordsmanship is overwhelming," he continued. "But in the shinobi world, he's like a taijutsu-type ninja—exceptional in close combat. And the best way to counter that? Ninjutsu."
Sasuke nodded in realization. "You mean… if Zabuza switches to ninjutsu, Shigure might lose his advantage?"
"Exactly," Kakashi said. "Shigure is strong, but he's still a Genin. His ninjutsu arsenal is limited. Against an elite Jōnin like Zabuza, that puts him at a disadvantage."
Sasuke muttered, "That makes sense…"
Naruto, however, tilted his head. "But Shigure knows a ton of ninjutsu, right? Back in the village, he even taught me the Rasengan—and he was developing new techniques, too!"
Kakashi glanced at him, momentarily surprised.
He's developing his own jutsu already?
At that age?
Naruto continued, "He also has that Sword Release technique! He could counter Zabuza's ninjutsu with that, couldn't he?"
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "Maybe. But there's another issue..."
Zabuza wasn't just a swordsman.
He was a master of assassination—the Hidden Mist's most feared hunter.
And what he was about to use wasn't just ninjutsu.
It was his specialty.
"Ninjutsu—Hidden Mist Technique!"
Thick mist began to rise, cloaking the battlefield in an eerie fog.
Kakashi's voice sharpened. "Sasuke, Naruto—stay close and protect Tazuna! I won't step in unless it's absolutely necessary. Be ready for anything!"
This last warning wasn't just for them—it was for Shigure as well.
As the world faded into white—
A smile crept across Shigure's face.
[Great Sage: Analyzing…]
20%…
30%…
50%…
Zabuza was now using his signature technique.
And to Shigure?
That just meant one thing—
More jutsu to learn.
Perfect.
"Kid... I'll let you experience my Silent Killing Technique next."
The mist thickened.
Vision narrowed further and further—until nothing could be seen. A suffocating whiteness blanketed everything. Shapes, light, even shadows vanished into the fog.
It was now complete darkness.
In this haze, seeing the enemy with the naked eye was impossible.
Unless one possessed a dōjutsu, a kekkei genkai like the Sharingan or Byakugan, navigating the battlefield like this would be near-suicidal.
Unfortunately, Shigure had no such eye techniques.
But that didn't mean he was helpless.
He had other skills.
"Thinking Acceleration—Activate."
In an instant, his brain entered a hyper-processing state.
Shigure's eyes opened sharply. His pupils focused, dilated, alert.
But it wasn't just his sight.
All five senses—heightened. Sharpened. Synced.
Now, even the faintest sound, the gentlest breeze, the most minute shift in chakra or air pressure—none could escape his notice.
"Hey, kid," Zabuza's voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere, surrounding him like a whisper from the void. "Where should I start cutting?"
Shigure didn't respond.
He gripped Zangetsu tightly in both hands, standing completely still—listening. Waiting.
"Haha… Frozen in fear already?"
"Having strong swordsmanship alone isn't enough to survive as a shinobi. Follow me, and I'll mold you into something greater…"
Shigure rolled his eyes.
"Tch. You talk too much. Are you going to fight, or not?"
Zabuza's voice dropped, turning cold.
"…Fine. As you wish."
In the next breath—
Shing!
The Executioner's Blade emerged from the fog, gleaming as it silently sliced through the air, aimed straight at Shigure's back.
Zabuza grinned behind the mist.
Perfect kill.
"If you broke my blade," he whispered, "then your blood will be the first to repair it!"
CLANG!!!
Sparks burst into the fog like a sudden firework.
Zabuza froze.
"What!?"
He stared in disbelief.
Shigure had already turned—his sword raised. He had blocked the ambush head-on.
Impossible.
He sensed it?
Zabuza's mind reeled.
That was a perfect execution. Silent. Untraceable.
"No… That's impossible."
"How did he detect my Silent Killing Technique?"
...
TN:
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