"Ice Release Secret Technique: Ice Rock Hall Prison!"
Thick ice walls rose around Zabuza. From the very beginning, Haku had been preparing his jutsu.
But to experienced warriors, Haku was still too young and inexperienced.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Cry Technique!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Two ninjas had anticipated this. An Ice Release Kekkei Genkai user?
On the battlefield, Kekkei Genkai could be an advantage, but that depended entirely on who was using it.
In an instant, the fire jutsu combined with the wind jutsu, massively increasing its power. The flames, which weren't that strong on their own, suddenly became a roaring inferno, engulfing the area where Zabuza stood.
The intense heat warped the air, and the ice beneath their feet began to melt.
Dooo!
In the next moment, more than ten kunai with explosive tags landed near Zabuza.
Two more ninjas had joined the fight.
Even though this was their first time working together, their teamwork was far more in sync than Zabuza and Haku's.
A jonin's so-called "experience" was something they had gained at the cost of their lives.
"Explode!"
Both ninjas detonated the tags at the same time, triggering another massive explosion.
The ice beneath them could no longer hold up—within a ten-meter radius around Zabuza, the ice shattered into pieces.
The shockwave was so strong that Chojuro, who was a short distance away, was sent flying several meters backward.
No one could possibly survive such an explosion.
Not to mention the damage caused by the flying ice shards.
But at that moment, Kakuzu's face turned serious.
Because beneath the sound of the explosion, he heard the sharp clashing of metal.
The ice fragments… Zabuza had probably blocked them.
And with the ice melting, the battlefield was now covered in thick mist.
If Zabuza was still alive, then all of them had just walked into his trap.
"Damn it! These useless fools!"
"Where is he?"
Kakuzu wasn't worried about his own life—he was more concerned about his money.
Wait… money?
Kakuzu suddenly realized something.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
A masked creature appeared on Kakuzu's back, and a lightning spear shot from its mouth straight toward Chojuro's position.
"Tekkai!"
As the lightning flashed, Zabuza's figure appeared in Kakuzu's line of sight.
His bare upper body had turned pitch black, and his pants were tattered in several places.
Clearly, he had taken the full force of the explosion head-on.
"Revolutionary Army, huh? No wonder you're strong… But I'm keeping Kirigakure's money."
The black tint on Zabuza's body slowly faded.
Even with Tekkai, he couldn't completely block that attack—his body was covered in wounds.
But seeing this only made Kakuzu feel even more shocked.
Those injuries were barely more than scratches.
Kisame never mentioned that Zabuza was this strong.
"Next time we meet, let's have a proper fight."
Zabuza lifted his foot and kicked Chojuro toward Kakuzu.
Then, an ice wall rose between them, cutting them off once again.
In this thick mist, it was all too easy for Zabuza to escape.
If he kept dragging this out, he would just be worn down by these guys.
The four other ninjas had already regrouped—it was impossible to pick them off one by one now.
Of course, even if they wanted to stop Zabuza from leaving, there was no way they could.
As the mist slowly cleared, Zabuza's pirate ship vanished from sight.
On the Kirigakure Village ship, Kakuzu stood at the bow, carrying Chojuro on his shoulder. The other ninjas looked frustrated. Even with five Jonin and Chojuro, they still couldn't defeat just two opponents.
"That guy wasn't even using Ninjutsu. It was too weird. Can pure Taijutsu really be that strong?"
"I don't know, but if any one of us had fought him alone, we'd be dead. It took four of us just to hold our ground."
"The real danger was his swordsmanship. Good thing we didn't have to face him head-on."
The others sighed in relief. If they hadn't had the numbers advantage, things would've ended badly. Just look at Chojuro—he was part of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, yet after taking a direct hit from Zabuza's blade, he was barely clinging to life.
Of all of them, Chojuro was the most severely injured.
Meanwhile, on Zabuza's side, despite being surrounded and even getting struck by Kakuzu's Lightning Release, he only had a few minor wounds and still managed to escape unharmed.
Technically, they won the fight, but it sure didn't feel like a victory.
Even worse, Chojuro had lost all the money he was carrying.
"What do we do next?"
"If even one of Kirigakure Village's Seven Ninja Swordsmen is this strong, then the one we're after…"
Everyone's mood sank.
Their mission target was none other than the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure Village—the Three-Tails Jinchuriki.
If Zabuza was already this tough to deal with, then the Mizukage's strength was beyond imagination.
They could all end up dead.
"Let's wait until Chojuro wakes up before deciding."
"Besides, not all of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen are this strong."
An older ninja spoke up.
Just because Zabuza was powerful didn't mean the Mizukage would be just as strong.
Look at Chojuro—he was also one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, but his strength was pretty normal. Not over-the-top like Zabuza's.
Thinking this, the group felt slightly more at ease.
In the corner, Kakuzu flipped open his bounty book and found Zabuza's page.
He drew a big X over it.
Zabuza's strength didn't match his bounty.
There was no point in chasing after a target that wasn't worth the trouble.
A few days later, Terumi Mei's face turned green with anger when she saw Chojuro return in critical condition.
Even with so many people on their side, Zabuza still managed to rob them?
Did an entire year's worth of Kirigakure Village's funds just disappear like that?
More than that, what shocked her the most was how much stronger Zabuza had become in just a few months.
"…Forget it. Our plan is already set in motion. There's no turning back now. Get everyone ready."
Her expression was serious.
"Chojuro, you've done well. Take the next few days to rest."
"Yes, sir."
Chojuro felt frustrated. He had almost ruined the plan. Luckily, Zabuza didn't take any further action.
Terumi Mei picked up the scroll from the table. It was a secret scroll containing silver, and Chojuro hadn't touched it the entire way.
But...
"Release!"
Terumi Mei broke the seal on the scroll. As expected, all the silver was gone.
However, as the seal was undone, a piece of paper appeared on the table.
"Hmm?"
A hint of surprise flashed across Terumi Mei's face. Did Zabuza leave this?
After reading the note, her expression grew even more complicated.
"The Revolutionary Army? Is Kisame part of this group too?"
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