Chapter 4 — Battle Against Momochi Zabuza
Since he had been directly called out, Gojo Satoru wasn't the type to back down from trouble. With his hands still tucked in his pockets, he casually walked forward.
At that moment, Kakashi reached out and stopped him.
"You three, fall back," Kakashi said sternly. "This guy is on a completely different level from the ones we faced earlier. If our opponent is someone like him, even I might have a hard time."
Although Kakashi had noticed that "Naruto" seemed somewhat unusual, he knew very well that sending his students to face a jōnin like Momochi Zabuza would be no different from sending lambs into a tiger's den.
Gojo helplessly waved at Zabuza, as if to say, It's not that I don't want to fight—you see, my teacher won't let me.
Zabuza's expression instantly darkened.
"Blond brat, don't think you can act so arrogant just because Kakashi of the Sharingan is protecting you. I hope you can still keep that same arrogance later."
Kakashi turned his head and said to Gojo,
"Naruto, don't provoke him. Momochi Zabuza is a jōnin just like me. If you really anger him, I might not be able to protect you."
Gojo shrugged and replied in Naruto's tone,
"Got it, Kakashi-sensei. As long as he doesn't mess with me, I won't beat him up."
Kakashi immediately felt a vein twitch on his forehead.
Not mess with you? he thought inwardly.
Lately Naruto has been acting more and more like Sasuke. No—he's even more of a show-off than Sasuke! Did something seriously stimulate this kid or what?
Sakura also felt extremely speechless.
Can Naruto stop acting cool already? she thought irritably. It's one thing that he got lucky and dodged that attack earlier. But didn't Kakashi-sensei say it himself? This guy is a jōnin! He's on a completely different level from you, and you're still provoking him!
When Sasuke heard the words "Sharingan," he paused slightly in surprise. After snapping back to reality, he quickly said,
"Naruto, this isn't the time for jokes!"
Zabuza was completely enraged by Naruto's attitude. He sneered loudly.
"Hahaha! You've got guts! You really do! Sharingan Kakashi—how about this? Hand over the old man and that blond brat to me, and I'll withdraw. What do you say?"
Kakashi didn't respond.
Instead, he spoke to the others behind him.
"You three, form the Manji Formation and protect Mr. Tazuna. Do not interfere in this fight."
After saying that, Kakashi slowly lifted the forehead protector that covered his left eye.
A vertical scar ran across that eye, and within the socket, a crimson three-tomoe Sharingan revealed itself to everyone present.
Standing atop the blade, Momochi Zabuza turned around and smirked.
"Oh? I didn't expect to see the legendary Sharingan so soon. What an honor."
Sakura looked at Kakashi in confusion.
"They've been talking about the Sharingan this whole time… what exactly is it?"
Sasuke lowered his head slightly and explained,
"The Sharingan is a power derived from one's gaze, manifested through the pupil. A user of this ocular jutsu can instantly see through all genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu—and even reflect them back. The Sharingan is one of the special eyes possessed by ocular jutsu users. But its abilities go far beyond that."
Zabuza continued where Sasuke left off.
"That's right—far beyond that. The truly terrifying thing about those eyes is that they can not only see through an opponent's techniques, but also copy them. Back when I was part of Kirigakure's assassination squad, the handbook we carried had your information in it, Kakashi."
"And it described you like this—"
"The man who has copied over a thousand ninjutsu… Copy Ninja Kakashi."
After hearing this, Sakura couldn't help feeling amazed.
What? Kakashi-sensei is actually such an incredible ninja!
Then she glanced at Naruto beside her and thought bitterly,
Unlike Naruto. It was bad enough that he used to be unreliable, but now he's even learned to act cool. Recklessly provoking a jōnin that even Kakashi-sensei has to take seriously… he must have a death wish.
Gojo Satoru had already examined Kakashi's Sharingan through the power of the Six Eyes, so he wasn't surprised at all. At this moment, however, he was filled with curiosity about the Sharingan itself.
Momochi Zabuza crouched steadily atop the sharp blade, speaking in a cold tone.
"Enough with the small talk. Originally, my target was only that old man. But now, it seems I'll have to add you as well, blond brat."
Sasuke and Sakura reacted instantly. The moment Zabuza finished speaking, the two of them had already taken defensive stances in front of Tazuna.
Gojo, on the other hand, calmly stepped past Kakashi and walked to the very front of the group, saying lightly,
"Alright then. I'll play with you for a bit."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Kakashi barked sharply.
Sakura also panicked.
"Get back here and take formation, Naruto! This isn't the time to show off!"
Just then, Momochi Zabuza's figure vanished like a bolt of lightning.
In the next moment, he silently appeared atop the calm surface of the water.
His feet lightly touched the water, yet not a single ripple formed, as if he had become one with the surface itself.
Immediately afterward, Zabuza formed hand seals. A powerful surge of chakra flowed within his body before erupting outward.
In an instant, the already thick fog seemed to come alive.
It churned and surged violently, enveloping the entire battlefield in an even deeper shroud of chaos and uncertainty.
This was Zabuza's signature ninjutsu—
The Hidden Mist Technique.
Under the cover of the overwhelming mist, his figure became faint and elusive, as though he could launch a fatal attack from any direction at any moment.
Kakashi's expression grew extremely serious.
"Momochi Zabuza—when he served in Kirigakure's Anbu, he was famous for his mastery of Silent Killing. As the name suggests, this assassination technique takes a life in complete silence. By the time you realize what's happening, you're already in another world."
"My Sharingan hasn't reached the level where I can freely use it yet. Naruto, hurry and regroup with Sasuke and Sakura!"
Gojo sighed helplessly.
"Alright, Kakashi-sensei."
As the mist thickened further, vision became completely blocked. Even someone standing right beside you would be impossible to see.
Zabuza's voice echoed from within the fog.
He began calmly listing different organs of the human body, describing exactly where he intended to strike—applying intense psychological pressure on everyone present.
However, this dense mist meant almost nothing to Gojo Satoru.
With the Six Eyes, he could clearly capture every subtle movement of Momochi Zabuza even within the thick fog.
Suddenly, Zabuza burst forward like a hunting leopard.
His blade flashed with a chilling gleam as he lunged straight for Gojo's vital points.
Yet in that split second, Gojo's figure vanished from his original position with an indescribable speed, as if defying the very laws of physics.
Zabuza's attack carried fierce killing intent and a whistling rush of wind—
But it struck nothing but empty air.
At the exact moment Zabuza's eyes widened in shock, Gojo Satoru's figure appeared behind him like a ghost.
Gojo lightly leaned against Zabuza's back, his voice tinged with playful amusement.
"Sorry… your attack is a little too obvious for me."