"No one backing him from the shadows? In that case, just send an ANBU squad to deal with Momochi Zabuza. To be safe, have Kakashi Hatake lead the team."
Several days later, after reviewing ANBU intelligence, Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly issued the order.
Momochi Zabuza had to die.
This was a direct provocation against Konoha.
Sarutobi Asuma had carried a massive bounty on his head. Why had no one tried to kill him before?
Was it truly because no one could defeat him?
Of course not.
Anyone strong enough to kill Sarutobi Asuma feared the power of Konoha behind him. Except for people like Kakuzu, no one would risk killing the Hokage's son purely for money.
As for foolish, weaker ninja, Sarutobi Asuma could easily deal with them himself.
Unfortunately for him, his father Hiruzen Sarutobi had offended Uchiha Fujie.
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not send Jiraiya.
Not only was this mission too minor to require Jiraiya, but the truth was that Hiruzen Sarutobi could barely command him anymore.
Originally, Hiruzen Sarutobi had planned to step down and make Jiraiya the Fifth Hokage.
But with the heavy losses suffered by his clan and the death of Sarutobi Asuma, he had changed his mind.
"Jiraiya… I will make you Hokage. Just not yet. Wait a few more years."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat smoking his pipe, but the more he smoked, the more troubled he became.
He wanted to remain Hokage for a few more years to restore some strength to his clan.
What he did not know was that Uchiha Fujie was also calculating around the position of Hokage.
Uchiha Fujie intended to ruin Hiruzen Sarutobi's reputation and force him to step down from the position of Hokage voluntarily.
No one would ever imagine that the recent chain of upheavals was connected to an eight-year-old Uchiha child.
At this time, Jiraiya was no longer in Konoha.
He had gone traveling through the ninja world gathering material for his writing.
Originally he had planned to do so in Konoha, but there were too many troubling matters there.
He simply could not stay.
Seeing that Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki's son was being cared for well by Kakashi Hatake, he felt reassured.
Things were not nearly as ideal as Jiraiya believed.
But did Jiraiya truly care?
Perhaps he did.
Yet in his heart, Konoha was always the most important thing.
More important than everything else.
More important even than Orochimaru or Tsunade.
That night, Kakashi Hatake said goodbye to Naruto Uzumaki.
He was leaving to carry out a mission.
"Kakashi… are you going to deal with Momochi Zabuza? Please be careful. You have to come back safely!"
Naruto Uzumaki knew Kakashi Hatake was a jonin. For Kakashi Hatake to suddenly be assigned a mission now, it could only be related to Momochi Zabuza.
Ever since Kakashi Hatake began taking care of him, he had not accepted any missions.
Kakashi Hatake smiled.
"Don't worry. I'm very strong. While I'm gone, make sure you keep training. Otherwise Sasuke Uchiha will surpass you."
Kakashi Hatake had heard of Momochi Zabuza before.
He believed that Momochi Zabuza had not yet reached the level of the Five Kage.
At most, they were evenly matched.
And this time, he even had ANBU assisting him.
The mission should not be too difficult.
"Mm! I'll work hard!"
Naruto Uzumaki sincerely hoped Kakashi Hatake would return safely.
In Naruto Uzumaki's heart, Kakashi Hatake had already surpassed Hiruzen Sarutobi in importance.
Something Hiruzen Sarutobi himself would never have expected.
Young Naruto Uzumaki knew that the Third Hokage treated him kindly.
Kakashi Hatake also treated him well.
Many people treated him kindly after learning he was the Fourth Hokage's son.
But Naruto Uzumaki could still sense who was sincere and who was merely polite.
Deep inside, the young boy carried many doubts.
Why was it that—aside from Kakashi Hatake—some people's kindness felt purer than that of Hokage-sama?
Three days later, Kakashi Hatake and three ANBU finally located Momochi Zabuza.
Kakashi Hatake was slightly puzzled.
Momochi Zabuza had the nerve to remain in the Land of Fire.
That took real courage.
"Sharingan Kakashi… I've been waiting for you."
The Zabuza assimilated body spoke coldly.
He had come to the Land of Fire on purpose.
After learning that Kakashi Hatake would lead the mission, he had moved into position.
This had all been arranged by Uchiha Fujie.
"A spy inside Konoha? Or someone setting me up… Danzo Shimura?"
"Why? Because of the Sharingan?"
With just a single sentence from the assimilated body, Kakashi Hatake's mind had already raced through numerous possibilities.
That was simply the habit of a sharp mind.
"The plan has changed. Capture Momochi Zabuza alive. I'll take the lead attack—cover me."
The moment Kakashi Hatake finished speaking, he threw a shuriken and launched forward like an arrow.
The Zabuza assimilated body swung the Executioner's Blade.
Instead of slashing, he smashed it sideways.
Clang!
The shuriken was knocked away.
Then the massive blade slammed toward Kakashi Hatake.
Bang!
A wooden plank shattered beneath the Executioner's Blade.
Substitution Technique.
Kakashi Hatake had already vanished.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three kunai flew from different directions toward the Zabuza assimilated body.
The ANBU had not been idle.
"Explosive tags?"
The Zabuza assimilated body used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge easily.
All three kunai carried explosive tags.
Blocking them directly would be foolish.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!"
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Technique!"
The three ANBU cooperated perfectly.
From the beginning, they had never expected the explosive-tag kunai to kill Momochi Zabuza.
At that moment, Kakashi Hatake still had not made a move.
A water prison suddenly rose from the ground, protecting the Zabuza assimilated body.
The technique normally used to trap enemies had become a defensive shield.
The three ninjutsu barely shattered the water barrier.
But their momentum was already gone.
Kakashi Hatake still had not moved.
From Kakashi Hatake's perspective, Momochi Zabuza was indeed powerful.
He had even once split a Great Fireball Technique in half with a single swing.
That level of strength was slightly higher than Kakashi Hatake's.
But killing Sarutobi Asuma?
Impossible.
Others might not know Sarutobi Asuma's strength, but Kakashi Hatake did.
Among jonin, Sarutobi Asuma's Body Flicker Technique was considered quite fast.
Rumor had it he was even developing a Wind Release chakra mode.
Momochi Zabuza might be able to defeat Sarutobi Asuma.
But killing him would be extremely difficult.
Meanwhile, the three ANBU were struggling under the assault of the Zabuza assimilated body.
Even against the original Momochi Zabuza from before his enhancement, these ANBU would only barely be able to survive.
Defeating him was impossible.
"Kakashi! You said you'd lead the attack, but you just made a feint and disappeared."
The three ANBU were slightly dissatisfied.
They knew Kakashi Hatake must have his own plan.
But knowing that logically did not stop them from feeling irritated.
Suddenly—
Brilliant blue lightning erupted.
In that instant, Kakashi Hatake's speed reached its peak.
Wild lightning gathered in his hand.
It was Kakashi Hatake's signature technique.
Lightning Blade.
Legend said he had once cut a bolt of lightning from the sky using this technique.
The terrifying Lightning Blade shot straight toward the assimilated body's heart.
The ANBU instantly felt relieved.
As expected of Kakashi Hatake.
The battle should end now.
The Zabuza assimilated body coated the Executioner's Blade with highly condensed Water Release chakra and used it to block the Lightning Blade.
Lightning moved incredibly fast.
Kakashi Hatake's sense of timing was flawless.
But the Zabuza assimilated body had been guarding against him from the beginning.
When Kakashi Hatake disappeared for more than ten seconds, the assimilated body activated a sensory ninjutsu and kept it active the entire time.
Every move Kakashi Hatake made had been tracked.
Maintaining sensory ninjutsu consumed chakra.
But the rate of chakra consumption was slower than his natural chakra recovery.
And so—
Kakashi Hatake, who had mastered Lightning Release chakra nature transformation, unleashed Lightning Blade.
The Zabuza assimilated body wielded the Executioner's Blade empowered by Water Release chakra nature transformation.
Which one would prevail?
Originally, the two would have clashed using Water Dragon Bullet Technique.
But because of Uchiha Fujie…
Everything had changed.
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