Land of Waves.
Inside a luxurious villa.
Zabuza sat sprawled across the sofa, exuding a domineering presence, his eyes glinting with a cold, lethal light.
The door was suddenly pushed open. A short, chubby man wearing sunglasses barged in, followed by several burly subordinates.
The moment he stepped inside, he started cursing, "Zabuza! Tazuna has already arrived in the Land of Waves. He'll be here any moment now. Why the hell haven't you made a move yet?!"
Hearing this, Zabuza raised an eyebrow and glanced at Gato, replying coldly, "I've already sent my men."
Gato snapped angrily, "And then what? What's the point of telling me all this crap? I only care about results!"
"If you take my money and don't do the job, I'll make sure you regret it."
Whoosh!
The moment Gato finished speaking, a sharp sound cut through the air.
In the next instant, Zabuza's Executioner's Blade was already pressed against Gato's neck.
At the same time, the burly subordinates Gato brought were instantly subdued by Zabuza's men.
"Don't ever speak to me in that tone again. Otherwise, I'll kill you on the spot."
Feeling the killing intent in Zabuza's voice and the icy chill radiating from the blade at his throat, cold sweat immediately broke out on Gato's forehead.
"Z-Zabuza… you can't attack your employer. If you do, you won't be able to survive in the ninja world anymore."
"Besides, I paid a fortune to hire you. Can't I at least demand an explanation?"
Zabuza pulled back the blade and stabbed it into the ground, his tone icy. "I'll handle it personally. No one I set my sights on has ever survived my blade."
"Wait for the news. And make sure the remaining payment is ready."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zabuza vanished from the spot along with the Executioner's Blade.
Only after he left did Gato collapse onto the ground, his heart still pounding with lingering fear.
He shuddered inwardly.
A rogue ninja like Momochi Zabuza wouldn't even blink when killing someone.
What he did just now was incredibly foolish.
But since Zabuza dared to treat him like that, there was no way he would let it go.
Gato decided to gather his men immediately. When Zabuza returned, he would have him killed as well.
————
————
"My village is just up ahead."
"Everyone pooled their money together to hire me to build a bridge."
As they got closer to home, the smile on Tazuna's face grew wider.
Naruto, on the other hand, looked bored, whistling as he glanced around.
"Sasuke, do you think that guy Zabuza got scared? He hasn't shown up at all."
Sasuke let out a faint snort. "Don't lower your guard."
The moment he finished speaking, a sharp whistling sound came from behind them.
They turned around and saw a massive blade spinning rapidly toward them.
"Get down!"
Sasuke, Gaara, and Naruto immediately forced Tazuna to the ground. Yuzuru's body, meanwhile, scattered into a flock of crows before reforming on a nearby tree trunk.
"That was close."
As Naruto and the others got back up, they saw a tall figure already standing atop the massive blade.
The man's face was wrapped in bandages, and he wore a slashed Mist Village headband at an angle.
A faint smile curled at Sasuke's lips as he said in a low voice, "Zabuza!"
Hearing his name, Zabuza turned his head, then leapt down cleanly, gripping the Executioner's Blade in his hand.
He looked at Sasuke with interest. "You've heard of me?"
Sasuke nodded. "Of course. An S-rank rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist, known as the Demon of the Mist, Momochi Zabuza…"
"I've been waiting for you."
Zabuza was clearly pleased with the answer. He didn't rush to attack, instead letting out a sigh. "Looks like the Demon Brothers have already been killed by you. You shouldn't be weak."
Sasuke nodded as if it were only natural. "Of course. Those two didn't even have the qualifications to pique my interest."
"As for me…" Sasuke pointed at himself, his tone slightly arrogant, "I'm the youngest genius of Konoha!"
Zabuza's eyes gleamed with danger. "What a coincidence. The ones I like killing the most… are geniuses!"
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!"
A dense fog instantly spread in all directions, swallowing everything around them. At the same time, all sound seemed to vanish.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara exchanged a glance and immediately formed a triangular formation, protecting Tazuna in the center.
Under the cover of the thick mist, they couldn't even see a meter ahead.
In the oppressive atmosphere, their heartbeats quickened as an invisible pressure steadily built.
Most importantly, they all felt like a hunter was lurking within the mist, staring at them relentlessly, ready to strike a fatal blow the moment they let their guard down.
"Gulp…"
"As expected of an S-rank rogue ninja… this killing intent is terrifying."
None of them dared to act rashly, focusing entirely on protecting Tazuna.
At that moment, Zabuza's deep voice echoed through the mist.
"Heart, liver, kidneys, throat, nose, neck, stomach…"
"Which spot should I choose to strike?"
His tone carried a hint of contemplation, as if his hesitation wasn't due to uncertainty, but because he was deciding how to kill them.
With all these factors combined, Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara felt immense pressure.
There was no doubt—Zabuza was the strongest enemy they had faced so far.
"Stay calm. He's just trying to provoke us."
"As long as we hold our ground, he won't be able to do anything."
Just as Naruto finished speaking, a chill suddenly rushed toward him.
He immediately pulled out a kunai and blocked in front of him.
Clang!
The kunai collided with the Executioner's Blade, sparks flying from the impact.
Sasuke seized the opportunity and charged forward. "Chidori!"
Pfft!
"Got him!"
Sasuke's arm pierced through Zabuza's chest—but a mocking smile appeared on Zabuza's face.
"A brat is still a brat. While you're playing ninja games, my hands have long been soaked in blood."
"So…" his voice suddenly came from beside Sasuke, "don't underestimate me, you fool!"
The Executioner's Blade came crashing down.
Sasuke tried to dodge, but his arm was stuck in the Water Clone and couldn't be pulled out in time.
"Watch out!"
Slash!
The blade was blocked by Gaara's sand, but the sheer force shattered the sand apart!
However, with the attack disrupted, the blade had already lost its previous momentum.
Seizing the chance, Naruto grabbed Sasuke and pulled him back.
"Idiot! Don't be so reckless!"
Naruto scolded.
For once, Sasuke didn't argue back.
From that single exchange, he had already understood—
The enemy before them was completely different from anyone they had faced before.