The group continued their journey and soon left the coastal village, arriving at a deserted forest road.
Knowing that Gato might continue to send ninjas to attack, everyone was very vigilant while traveling, observing their surroundings from time to time to prevent any ambushes.
However, with Sasuke gone, Naruto did not act as pretentiously as in the anime.
The group walked quietly. After some time, fog gradually rose in the forest.
Yamato and the others did not pay much attention. Because the Land of Waves is surrounded by the sea, fog often occurs on the island. Tazuna had already told them this on the boat.
But Jokichi raised his vigilance in his heart. He knew that the one coming to attack this time was the Demon of the Hidden Mist, Momochi Zabuza.
He was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and a genius of the Silent Killing Technique, specializing in silent assassinations using mist as cover.
As he walked, Jokichi imperceptibly adjusted his position and walked behind Tazuna.
The fog grew thicker and thicker.
In the forest by the road, a person was hidden in a large tree. Short black hair, slender build, upper body nearly naked, revealing lean and well-trained muscles, carrying an exaggeratedly large sword on his back, his mouth and neck wrapped in bandages, his black eyes full of vicissitudes but hidden by ferocity and a hint of madness.
It was indeed Momochi Zabuza.
He quietly observed the passing Team 7 and Tazuna, his gaze fixed intently on Jokichi's back.
This position... Was it a coincidence or intentional?
The very back was the easiest position to be ambushed. Generally speaking, during an escort mission, the strongest person walks at the very back. Firstly to avoid stepping into traps, and secondly to prevent sneak attacks.
However, in this ninja combination of three small and one large, even a fool could see that Yamato was the captain. Combined with their Konoha forehead protectors, it was not hard to see that this was a rookie team led by a Jonin.
But now, the one walking at the very back was a rookie ninja.
"Is this Jonin negligent?" Zabuza's brows furrowed.
He felt that things were not that simple. If they had not encountered an attack before, it would be possible for them to let their guard down. However, to make such a low-level mistake after having already been attacked, this person would not be fit to be a Jonin.
However... Zabuza placed his right hand on the hilt of the sword behind him, and his gaze turned cold.
"No matter what scheme you have, you will not be able to protect the person I want to kill under this Executioner's Blade."
...
"Be careful, pay more attention to the surroundings," Yamato reminded them.
The fog was getting thicker, and it was almost impossible to see ahead, making it a good time for an ambush.
Suddenly, Jokichi heard the whistling of air behind him. From the sound, he could judge that it was a very large and heavy object, and it was very fast, much faster than the katana Ryohei wielded.
It's Zabuza! The image of that man without eyebrows immediately appeared in Jokichi's mind.
His body subconsciously turned around. Midway, he gripped the hilt, drew his sword, and slashed—the entire movement was executed in one smooth motion.
Doing all this, Jokichi finally saw the Executioner's Blade slashing from the thick fog. It was not thrown from a distance like in the anime, but was held in Zabuza's hand as he swung it.
"Clang!"
Accompanied by a deafening metal collision, Jokichi felt a massive force transmit through his sword, and then he was sent flying.
Zabuza did not stop for a moment, swinging his sword again to slash at Tazuna in front. Seeing that the large sword was about to fall on the mission target's head, Zabuza's fierce eyes couldn't help but light up, and he couldn't help but shout, "Got you!"
"Stab!"
Zabuza's movements froze. He looked down at his chest. A sword tip protruded from his torso, clear water dripping along the blade, then turning into a puddle of stagnant water on the ground.
At this time, the Jokichi who had been knocked away crashed into a tree and exploded into white smoke.
It was a shadow clone.
The real Jokichi was currently slowly sheathing his sword within the team. Since he knew in advance that the opponent was skilled in silent killing, how could he not prepare early? He had used a shadow clone when they went ashore, using the clone to replace his real body while traveling with the team, while his real body followed hidden behind.
However, the opponent was also cautious enough; his real body did not come, instead sending a water clone for a probe.
All of this happened in a flash.
It was only after Zabuza's water clone was eliminated that everyone realized what had happened and looked over. Seeing Jokichi slowly sheathing his sword, Yamato thought of something and his brows furrowed tightly.
"Is there an assassin?"
"Mhm!" Jokichi nodded slightly.
"The opponent used an exaggeratedly large cleaver, yet approached behind my shadow clone silently. He's very powerful."
Hearing this, Yamato's heart sank. Judging from Jokichi's description, no matter how he thought about it, the opponent was that famous Demon of the Hidden Mist. He didn't expect Gato to hire a ninja of this level.
Seeing Yamato's expression, Sakura and Naruto felt a bit of nervousness, but Tazuna looked quite composed. From the moment he decided to build the bridge, he had anticipated this kind of situation.
He had already made his resolve.
At this time, a shrill whistling sounded from a distance again. From the sound, one could judge it was a very large and heavy object.
"Get down!" Yamato's face changed as he shouted to the group.
Everyone also crouched down and protected their heads in time.
The massive Executioner's Blade spun out of the mist, flew over their heads, and finally got stuck in a large tree ahead. Then, a figure appeared on the sword. The mist was thick, and only a hazy outline of the person's figure could be seen.
But just from the silhouette, Yamato had already recognized his opponent. It was indeed Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist as suspected.
"This is trouble!" Yamato became extremely serious, while simultaneously clapping his hands together.
"Wood Release: Four-Pillar Prison Technique."
"Bang, bang, bang..."
A series of square wooden pillars about the thickness of a bowl's mouth rose from the ground around them, forming a prison that enclosed everyone. Although it restricted their movement, it also prevented the opponent from silently approaching for an assassination.
Zabuza, on the tree, saw this scene, his pupils shrinking slightly, and then he gave a casual laugh.
"So it's the famous Wood Release Tenzo. Why is a master from the Konoha Anbu acting as a babysitter?"
Facing the enemy's mockery, Yamato remained unmoved, his gaze fixed tightly on the figure in the mist, fearing that the opponent would vanish from sight if he wasn't careful.
"How boring." Seeing Yamato not responding, Zabuza clicked his tongue and asked, "Can you hand over that old man?"
"What do you think?" Yamato asked back.
"How regrettable!" Zabuza shrugged, and then his eyes flared with battle intent.
"Since that's the case, let's let our ninjutsu do the talking!"
As the words fell, his hands rapidly formed seals.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique."
The calm lake surface suddenly boiled, kicking up a massive wave that swept toward everyone like a flood.
Although the wooden prison could effectively stop him from approaching silently, it also restricted their movements.
"Hmph! To think you thought this great one only knew silent assassination, how naive!"