Chapter 42: Zabuza, Deceased!

"Right here!"

Naruto spun around and launched a counterattack!

Caught completely off guard, Zabuza, who had suddenly appeared in the center of the trio, could only raise his kunai to block Naruto's strike.

*Clang—*

A teeth-setting screech of clashing metal echoed through the air.

Zabuza's eyes widened in disbelief at the sheer force transmitted through his hands.

*"Such incredible strength! Is this brat really a taijutsu specialist?"*

"Hah!"

Seeing Zabuza materialize, Sasuke closed in for a flying kick, but Zabuza caught it effortlessly with his other free hand.

An elite jounin was truly an elite jounin.

Much like Kakashi-sensei, he easily handled newly graduated genin in close-quarters combat.

Just as Zabuza moved to kick Sasuke away, Naruto anticipated the move and disrupted him with a timely kick of his own.

Seizing the opportunity, Sasuke used his captured leg as a fulcrum to lash out with his other foot, only for Zabuza to hurl him directly to the ground.

"Take this!"

Naruto executed a shoulder strike, then forcefully stamped his right foot into the earth for leverage.

*Bang—*

The ground fractured into a massive depression as he shot straight up into the air, aiming a flying kick directly at Zabuza's chin!

"Monstrous Strength Taijutsu: Rising Dragon Kick!"

*"Too fast!"* Zabuza couldn't even track Naruto's speed before—

*Plop—*

Zabuza literally dissolved into a splatter of water.

It turned out to be nothing more than a water clone.

"Are you alright, Sasuke?" Taking advantage of a lull in the battle, Naruto checked on his teammate.

"I'm fine."

Sasuke picked himself up, scanning his surroundings warily, already resolving to study more taijutsu by nightfall.

Failing that, swordsmanship would do.

In short, he had to remedy his shortcomings in close combat.

"Was that just a clone?"

At that moment, Sakura finally arrived with Tazuna. She looked around anxiously, feeling as though Zabuza could be hiding anywhere.

Seeing her nervous expression, Naruto reassured her, "Don't be scared. He's just a jounin; I believe our squad can handle him."

And if things got desperate, he, Naruto, would simply step in.

With that, Naruto looked over at Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei, you don't need to intervene this time. The three of us are enough."

Naruto intended to give his teammates some practice. With the sparring arena at his disposal, his own combat experience was already more than sufficient.

As for Sasuke and Sakura, the matches inside the training space at night were merely drills for combat techniques devoid of bloodshed; real battle experience would allow them to progress far more rapidly.

Besides, with him around, the two of them could be saved even if they died, let alone mere injuries.

Moreover, how could they grow without braving storms, seeing a bit of blood, and taking a few hits?

"You guys..."

Kakashi was just about to refuse when he suddenly noticed Naruto patting the pouch at his waist. Kakashi understood instantly—it was bound to be packed with stamina pills.

*"Where on earth does this brat get so many stamina pills?"*

Kakashi felt slightly bewildered. The village had only issued him two red pills for this trip, which, combined with the ones he usually bought himself, only totaled seven.

As for Naruto? He carried them by the pouchful.

"Be careful, then."

Kakashi finally offered a word of caution. He knew full well that the three youngsters needed to grow, but he was also fully prepared to step in at a moment's notice.

"Brat, your sensory skills are certainly impressive, but do the three of you really think you can stop me? Where on earth do you get such misplaced confidence?"

Zabuza climbed up from the water, his voice echoing from all directions.

The thick, impenetrable fog still shrouded the area, making it impossible to pinpoint his location.

At this point, Naruto had a pretty good idea why Zabuza hailed from Kirigakure of the Land of Water.

They certainly had an abundance of water.

No, wait—the fog was just massive.

No wonder they were called the Hidden Mist; surely not everyone in this village fought using this exact same style?

After a moment of contemplation, Naruto knew what he had to do next.

Since taijutsu had already been tested, it was time to try some ninjutsu!

"Get down!"

Shouting a warning to the other three, Naruto leaped high into the air.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

A fierce gale swept through, instantly scattering the dense fog and exposing Zabuza's hiding spot!

"This brat!" Zabuza glared resentfully at Naruto. This single Wind Release technique had stripped away his tactical advantage, and fighting from here on out would likely prove difficult.

"Huh?"

Zabuza watched as the blonde brat began weaving hand signs mid-air once again.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Cannon!"

There was no howling gale, no external visual cues whatsoever, yet they could distinctly feel a terrifying surge of chakra closing in.

Was this a nearly invisible wind-style ninjutsu?!

*"Oh no!"*

After several rapid leaps, Zabuza finally managed to evade the attack.

*Boom... boom... boom...*

There was no explosion, yet the impact was worse than one. This violent, surging current of air scattered in all directions, completely obliterating what little remained of the surrounding fog.

Looking back, Zabuza realized that every massive tree he had paused near during his escape had vanished, leaving behind deep craters over a dozen meters wide.

The explosive force of that chaotic chakra had cleaved the trees and the earth itself into microscopic fragments.

Zabuza broke out in a cold sweat.

*"This brat! Is he really just a genin?"*

"Naruto!" Sasuke complained quite bitterly. What was the meaning of this? He hadn't been given a single chance to shine!

Landing gracefully on the ground, Naruto offered an innocent, harmless smile. "Just reflex, haha."

Sasuke walked over to Naruto's left side and faced the enemy. "What ninjutsu was that just now?"

That technique had been undeniably cool; he wanted to learn it too.

"Wind nature chakra transformation. You can't learn it yet."

"Hmph!" Sasuke felt a tinge of envy at Naruto's possession of all five chakra natures and his mastery over them all. As for himself, he had only just begun to grasp lightning nature shape transformation and was tentatively touching upon nature transformation, striving toward more advanced realms.

*Three years. Within three years, I will master all elements too!*

On the other side, Sakura walked up to Naruto's right and stood firm. Glancing at the two boys, her gaze grew increasingly resolute.

*I can do this too. I won't hold them back!*

Team Seven, charge!

In the ensuing battle, Naruto shifted primarily to a support role, ceasing active attacks to assist the other two in combat.

Yet even while playing a supporting role, Zabuza dared not underestimate him. He had to remain constantly on guard against Naruto, which diverted a full thirty percent of his attention.

This allowed Sasuke's attacks and Sakura's newly learned monstrous strength taijutsu to land repeatedly.

Miserable and battered, Zabuza was forced back step by step.

Finally, thoroughly exhausted, Zabuza was cornered against a massive tree with nowhere left to run.

"Chidori!"

Sasuke unleashed his signature technique, preparing to finish Zabuza off once and for all.

Suddenly—

*Whoosh—*

Two senbon needles flew through the air, embedding themselves deeply into Zabuza's neck.

Blood spurted forth as Zabuza collapsed to the ground, life unknown.

Sasuke's Chidori arrived a beat too late, striking only the tree and leaving a massive, smoking crater in its trunk.

"Hah... hah... What is the meaning of this?"

A panting Sasuke was utterly disgruntled. No one would feel happy having their hard-earned kill stolen right at the finish line.

"Can't you even tell? Damn it, a kill-stealer has arrived."

Naruto raised his eyes to look at the newcomer.

The individual stood high upon a tree branch, draped in a strange cloak and wearing a mask bearing the emblem of the Hidden Mist. Their hair was long, and it was impossible to tell whether they were male or female.

Through his sensory perception, Naruto knew this person had arrived long ago, simply watching from the sidelines.

At first, Naruto had assumed they were just a passerby.

Given the sheer number of shinobi passing through his sensory range every day, who could have guessed they were here to poach a kill?

"It seems he's really dead," the newcomer said playfully.