He reacted in time, but the water suddenly felt heavy.
"Water Prison Technique."
Zabuza burst from the water behind Kakashi and trapped him in an inescapable sphere of water.
"Damn—got greedy and rushed straight into his trap!"
"Heh-heh, hooked! This is a special cage you can't break; if you could move, I'd have a hard time finishing you."
Kakashi noticed Zabuza had shoved a Kunai back into the wound to stop the bleeding—he'd brutalized himself to lure the enemy in.
"Well then, Kakashi, I'll go wipe out your students first. Water Clone Technique."
Trapped, Kakashi could only roar for the others to run.
"Take Tazuna and escape! Water Clones can't stray far from the original!"
But Sasuke and Kano weren't about to flee!
"Sasuke, let's take the Water Clone together!"
"Right—just the two of us left with the best teamwork!"
The two agreed and charged the clone from front and back.
Sasuke was scared, but not stupid—their only chance was to free Kakashi; if they ran they'd just be hunted down.
All hope rested on him and Kano; that idiot Naruto was useless.
"Damn it! I can fight too—don't underestimate me!"
Naruto also rushed forward—but instead of attacking the clone, he dashed straight for Zabuza's real body.
"Cut off the head and the snake dies, you two idiots! When I capture Zabuza and save Kakashi-sensei, I'll be the best!"
Face full of idiocy, Naruto charged ahead, ignoring everyone's warnings.
"Ho, you brats want a straight fight? Instead of running, you come right at me? Your teacher Kakashi spilled the Water Clone's weakness like a cheater shouting answers—he nearly died to tell you."
Facing Zabuza's taunts, show-off Sasuke couldn't hold back and retorted.
"If we don't get close, how can we beat the crap out of you!"
"Hohoho, then come even closer!"
Sasuke formed seals while running; Zabuza paid him no mind.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
The Water Clone casually formed a Water Release and snuffed the flames; the clash created a burst of steam that blanked everyone's sight.
Two shuriken flew out of the steam; the clone batted them aside.
"Using mist against my Silent Killing? Interesting."
The clone reached through the fog, grabbed Sasuke, and slammed him to the ground.
"Gah!"
Sasuke coughed up a mouthful of blood; the clone moved to finish him.
Kano came whirling in with her hunting flute! The massive weapon came down like a hammer; even the Water Clone had to block with everything it had or be smashed.
A low sound rolled through the mist like surging waves.
Such a heavy weapon leaves huge openings once blocked; even with Sasuke's help, Kano and he wouldn't last many exchanges.
"Playtime's over!"
As the clone declared their end—
"Taijutsu secret—Thousand Years of Death!"
Naruto burst from the water and rammed a Kunai straight into Zabuza's rear! Even Kakashi inside the water prison clenched!
"What! How did you stinking brat get there!"
Zabuza's real body twisted to look: charging at him across the water was that idiot kid.
The "Naruto" running across the surface with the idiotic face dispelled—revealing the Copy Ninja Kakashi.
The Kakashi inside the water prison chuckled, melted into water, and merged with the prison.
"Water Clone!"
Naruto had been hidden underwater by Kano, transformed into something common in the lake; he was to surface and strike the instant he heard the hunting flute.
Kakashi had followed Kano's plan: send only a Water Clone forward while disguising himself as the vanished Naruto, maintaining the disguise until the flute sounded.
Even Kakashi had to admire it—Nara Clan brains are terrifying. At such a young age she'd devised a trap that lured the enemy in.
Back during the bell test, he'd wiped out The Three Little Ones before they finally got him.
This time, just when Zabuza thought he'd won, the buried ace sprang!
With Zabuza's rear and leg wounded, there was no way to react to Kakashi in his face—this blow would land, and Zabuza was finished!
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