https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-572-Minoko-and-Koushin-s-First-Battle-/12943270/
Chapter 571: Kakashi vs. Zabuza!
Chapter 571: Kakashi vs. Zabuza!
"Get down!" Kakashi shouted abruptly.
At that moment, a giant, rapidly spinning blade sliced through the air.
If not for his warning, someone's head might have been severed by the massive blade.
Swish! The spinning blade embedded itself into a tree several meters ahead.
Whoosh! A ninja with half his face wrapped in bandages and a bullet-shaped head stood on the hilt of the blade, looking down at them.
A dramatic entrance indeed.
"Damn you!" Naruto was the first to speak up.
However, while Naruto was talking, Sasuke had already gripped his kunai.
At that moment, Tang Ping looked at Koushin and received an affirmative response.
The target she had been keeping an eye on was getting closer!
Yes, Tang Ping now knew that the Root Division was following their team.
He had known since they left Konoha.
But since they hadn't made any moves, he hadn't taken action either. Now it seemed that they couldn't hold back any longer.
As for how he knew it was the Root Division?
It was obvious to the eye!
With his strength, figuring out their identities was a piece of cake.
However, Danzo had spared no expense this time.
Five elite squads and a large number of special 'weapons'.
With this lineup, even capturing some Shadow Rank-level strong individuals was not out of the question.
Because the Root Division was specialized in 'anti-human tactics'.
In other words, when targeting human ninjas, they could unleash even greater power.
With various poisons, secret techniques, and other means, even Shadow Rank-level individuals could be taken down.
These Root Division members had been following the team from a distance, and if not for Koushin's Divine Eye, they wouldn't have been able to accurately track their movements.
Now, as soon as they left the Land of Fire, the Root Division began to close in, clearly intending to take advantage of the opportunity.
In the original storyline, Zabuza made his move, engaging Kakashi in a high-level battle and ultimately being defeated by him.
But now it seemed that the Root Division was preparing to take advantage of this opportunity, and it wasn't impossible that they would shift the blame onto Zabuza.
Just then, Zabuza, standing on the hilt of the blade, finished his dramatic entrance and fixed his gaze on Kakashi, saying, "Copy Ninja Kakashi, how far can your Sharingan see through the thick mist?"
For one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, only Kakashi was worthy of his respect.
However, Zabuza's words left a young Sasuke with many questions.
"Sharingan?" Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.
He had never expected that his own teacher would possess such a powerful ability.
The Sharingan was the bloodline limit of the Uchiha clan, and not every Uchiha possessed it.
But Kakashi wasn't from the Uchiha clan, so how could he possibly have the Sharingan?
Before Sasuke could fully process these thoughts, he noticed a thick mist forming around them.
"Be cautious of their silent killing techniques. Protect the civilians!" Kakashi straightened his forehead protector, revealing his blood-red three-tomoe Sharingan, and gave instructions.
It was clear that Zabuza lived up to his reputation as an Elite Jonin, enveloping a large area in mist with just one Mist Hidden Technique.
Of course, the nearby lake also played a role.
The choice of this location for the ambush was not without reason.
When near water, Mist ninjas could always maximize their combat capabilities.
As the battle began, Tang Ping and his team, who had retreated to a safe distance, also started moving in a specific direction.
It was time to deal with the Root Division members who had been following them all along.
It wasn't convenient to do so within the Land of Fire, but here in the Land of Water, it was the perfect place to eliminate this nuisance.
Zabuza had no intention of pursuing their team, as his target was Dazna, not them.
If not for the conflicting nature of their missions, he wouldn't even want to engage Kakashi in battle.
For ninjas, the mission always came first, not combat. They would always try to avoid fighting if possible.
Battles between ninjas were incredibly brutal.
Even with a significant power gap, the possibility of being counter-attacked was very real, and there were plenty of examples to prove it.
So, when ninjas encountered enemy ninjas during a mission, the evaluation of the mission's difficulty would start at B-rank.
Dazna had concealed the fact that a ninja was going to assassinate him, which was why the mission was only rated C-rank. If he had revealed the presence of an elite Jonin-level rogue ninja like Zabuza, the mission would have been rated A-rank at the very least.
The difference between an A-rank and a C-rank mission might seem small, but the price difference is enormous.
This is because the risks involved are on completely different levels.
If it weren't for the fact that Kakashi had taken the mission, any other Jonin would have been thinking about how to survive rather than how to complete the mission.
After a round of psychological warfare, they immediately entered a famous scene.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Zabuza stood on the side of the lake, rapidly forming hand seals.
A hundred meters away on the lake's surface, Kakashi also formed the same hand seals, mirroring Zabuza's movements.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
This was a B-rank ninjutsu that required a large number of hand seals.
Dozens of seals, and it took several seconds just to form them, let alone the difficulty of executing the technique.
In combat, the few seconds it took to cast this ninjutsu would be enough for a Genin to rush over and stab you with a kunai dozens of times.
That's why it's considered a famous scene.
Two elite Jonin clashed with each other using this flashy ninjutsu.
Roar!
A dragon-like roar echoed simultaneously from behind the two of them.
A few meters wide and several tens of meters long, a bluish-green water dragon emerged from the lake bottom, dragging its long tail as it charged towards its target.
In the anime, this ninjutsu didn't seem that powerful, and it didn't deserve to be called a B-rank ninjutsu.
But in the ninja world, one would know the true terror of this technique.
The bluish-green water dragon soared through the sky, carrying tens to hundreds of tons of force as it fell. It could shatter steel plates, let alone flesh and blood.
This water-style attack had a long range, high maneuverability, and when used near water, the chakra consumption was significantly reduced.
It could be said that this technique had a C-rank chakra consumption and B+ rank power when used near water, which was why Zabuza used it as his signature move.
Boom! The two water dragons collided in mid-air, creating a shockwave and causing countless drops of lake water to fall.
To put it bluntly, even a heavy tank would be flipped over like a toy when facing such a water dragon.
However, neither Kakashi nor Zabuza expected the Water Dragon Bullet to be decisive.
A black shadow appeared in the water beneath Kakashi's feet.
'Oh no!'
That thought flashed through her mind.
Then, her feet were grabbed and pulled into the water.
At that moment, Zabuza, who was far away, turned into water and dispersed.
Water Clone!
Zabuza was highly skilled in this technique, which was why Kakashi couldn't see through his trick.
Of course, it was also because he deliberately kept a distance, as getting too close would make it easier to be seen through.
The reason for keeping the distance was to cast the Water Dragon Bullet, so it wouldn't raise any suspicions.
It could be said that being a ninja required a high level of 'combat wisdom', and aside from certain exceptional individuals who could rely on their strength to overpower all opposition, others had to be cautious and calculating, or they would easily be defeated.
In the lake water, Zabuza watched as Kakashi, who had turned into water and dispersed, disappeared from his hands, and his face turned grim.
He had been seen through!
His tactical intentions had been predicted by his opponent in advance.
At that moment, a black shadow appeared behind Zabuza, and it was Kakashi holding a kunai.
The two of them engaged in a water battle.
Kakashi, with his mastery of all five attributes, was also skilled in water-style techniques, so he could use Water Clone as well. In terms of combat wisdom, even a great hero might not be stronger than him.
In the original story, he was defeated in an instant, not because of his combat wisdom, but because his opponent had an overwhelming advantage.
But now, things were different.
With her heart's knot untied and a clear revenge target, she never wasted her talent. Her current strength was unknown, and even a great hero might not be able to defeat her.
However, against Zabuza, she only used elite Jonin-level strength, which was why they clashed tactically instead of overpowering each other with sheer strength.
As the battle raged on, another battlefield was about to unfold elsewhere.
(End of Chapter)
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