The morning mist hung heavy over the bridge, weaving through the half-constructed beams like a ghostly veil. The steady clinking of hammers and saws had filled the air every day for weeks, but now, there was only silence. An unnatural stillness that made the hairs on the back of Kakashi Hatake's neck rise.
He knew this mist.
Zabuza was here.
Kakashi's single visible eye scanned the thickening fog, his body tensing. His students—Naruto, Raven, Sasuke, and Sakura—stood behind him, each sensing the tension in their own way.
Naruto Uzumaki gripped his kunai tightly, the weight of his recent growth fueling his confidence.
Raven Kamizuki's violet eyes narrowed, her Rinnegan faintly swirling beneath her disguise, though she kept her power carefully masked. This was a test—not for her—but for them.
Sasuke Uchiha stood slightly apart, his eyes cold and focused, the weight of his clan's expectations and his desire for strength etched into every fiber of his being.
Sakura Haruno, though nervous, stood her ground, determined not to be a burden this time.
Tazuna, the bridge builder, shuffled nervously behind them, his fear barely contained.
Then came the voice—gravelly, confident, and laced with danger.
"Well, well… we meet again."
Zabuza Momochi emerged from the mist, Kubikiribōchō resting on his shoulder, his expression unreadable.
Beside him, Haku stood in her mask, but Raven's trained gaze saw the flicker of hesitation beneath it.
"You know what to do," Kakashi said, his voice low.
Team 7 sprang into action.
Naruto moved first, forming a quick hand sign.
"Ramen Noodle Clone Technique!"
Dozens of clones burst into existence, their bodies composed of chakra-infused noodles, but this time, their faces were grim, their movements precise. There were no jokes—only focus.
Raven followed suit, her hands forming quick seals.
"Pizza Clone Technique!"
Her clones materialized beside Naruto's, their melted cheese skin and dough-like limbs crafted perfectly for battle. These weren't distractions—they were soldiers.
Together, Naruto's Ramen Clones and Raven's Pizza Clones surged forward, coordinating like a wave of chakra warriors, flanking Zabuza from both sides.
Zabuza's sword flashed, cutting through several clones, but their numbers overwhelmed him, forcing him to shift constantly to avoid being surrounded.
Kakashi mirrored Zabuza's movements, Sharingan exposed, watching his foe's every muscle twitch.
As Naruto's clones pressed Zabuza, Raven positioned herself behind them, weaving her hands into another set of seals.
"Fire Style: Ember Scatter Jutsu!"
Small bursts of flame erupted along the ground, forcing Zabuza to reposition, disrupting his water-based movements.
Zabuza grunted in annoyance, his eyes narrowing as he recognized Raven's restraint.
She's holding back… testing me.
"Don't let up!" Kakashi commanded, darting in with a kunai, aiming for Zabuza's ribs.
Zabuza deflected the strike with his massive blade, but a Ramen Clone latched onto his leg, pulling him slightly off balance.
"Fire Style: Ash Flicker Jutsu!" Raven called, releasing a cloud of heated ash, briefly blinding Zabuza.
"Good teamwork," Kakashi thought, impressed despite his concern.
But he also noticed something else—Raven's eyes. She was analyzing, calculating… like she was studying the battlefield, not fighting for her life.
While Naruto and Raven pressed Zabuza, Sasuke faced Haku.
Their eyes locked—Sasuke's sharp, Haku's hidden behind her mask.
"You will not interfere," Haku said softly, her voice almost sorrowful.
"We'll see about that." Sasuke smirked, launching a volley of shuriken.
Haku moved like the wind, weaving between the projectiles, before forming her own seals.
"Secret Art: Demonic Ice Mirrors!"
The air froze, crystalline mirrors forming around Sasuke in a perfect dome.
Before he could react, Haku stepped into the reflections, her image multiplying a hundredfold.
Sasuke's breath hitched, realizing the trap.
Senbon needles rained down, piercing his arms and legs, each strike precise—meant to wound, not kill.
"Damn it…!" Sasuke gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay standing, but the pain clouded his thoughts.
From the sidelines, Sakura watched, her heart racing.
Naruto and Raven fought like seasoned warriors, and even Sasuke—despite his situation—was fighting with grit.
But she stood there, guarding Tazuna.
Her grip on her kunai tightened.
"I need to be more than this…" Sakura thought, anger at her own weakness bubbling inside her.
Raven had told her during training that power wouldn't just come to her—she had to seize it.
Watching Sasuke bleed inside the mirror prison, Sakura vowed that this would be the last time she felt this way.
Kakashi dodged another swing from Zabuza, his Sharingan studying every detail.
He saw Naruto adapting—repositioning his clones mid-battle.
He saw Raven's control—each jutsu measured, each clone perfectly placed.
He saw Sasuke suffering—but learning through pain.
"They're growing… but this is still beyond them."
Zabuza, irritated but still composed, smashed his sword into the bridge, dispelling several clones.
"You've improved," he admitted, eyes narrowing at Naruto and Raven. "But you're still green."
With a burst of strength, he spun, sweeping his blade in a wide arc, dispersing most of the remaining clones.
Naruto was knocked backward, his body hitting the ground hard.
"Naruto!" Raven's voice cut through the mist, her eyes narrowing.
She formed another seal, readying a more advanced jutsu, but stopped herself.
"Not yet," she whispered to herself.
This is their fight.
Kakashi tensed, preparing to intervene.
The battle was far from over—but the outcome was no longer just about victory.
It was about who would walk away stronger.
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