"Ice Release: Magic Mirror Technique!"
In an instant, the surrounding water splashed onto the ground and surged into the air, forming dozens of ice mirrors around the trio.
From below, Kakashi watched with a shocked expression. 'Impossible, I don't recognize this technique!'
"Hehe, don't be surprised, Kakashi. Konoha isn't the only village with geniuses."
There was a hint of irony in his voice.
On the bridge, Sakura and the others looked around in confusion.
No matter where they turned, every corner was filled with ice crystal mirrors.
In each one, there was a reflection of Haku, as if he had conjured dozens of clones out of thin air.
"Hmph! Playing with mirrors—do you think this will be enough to defeat us? What a joke." Sasuke scoffed, his hands moving in a blur before he shouted, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball shot forward, trailing behind it. The moment it touched the mirror, it was like a torch being doused with water—no struggle, just a brief sizzle before it vanished, leaving only smoke in the air.
"What!?" the trio exclaimed in surprise.
For the first time, their perceptions were challenged. The mirrors were clearly made of ice—how could they resist such a large fireball?
A sigh echoed in their ears, as if coming from everywhere.
"Is that your last struggle? Then I'm afraid you're going to die here. Now, let me show you what true speed looks like."
Before any of them could react, the air seemed to tear apart in every direction.
SLASH!
The air was ripped open, and blood splattered everywhere.
"Aaagh!" x3
Sakura fell to the ground, crying out in pain as she looked down and found her entire body pierced by senbon needles.
Blood dripped from each wound, creating a horrifying scene.
On the side, Sasuke and Naruto fared no better—both were pierced by needles, their bodies looking like bloody hedgehogs.
Biting her lip, Sakura glared at Haku, cursing, "Bitch! This won't end like this!"
"Hm?" Haku stared at her in surprise.
In his mind, this girl should have been weak—how was she still standing despite her injuries?
"Sakura-chan..." Naruto coughed up blood, staring in shock as Sakura pulled some of the needles from her body without even flinching.
The veins on her forehead throbbed as countless thoughts raced through her mind.
Then an idea crossed her mind.
With that, she didn't waste time. Recalling all the training she did this time, and also her experience from her previous life, she gathered chakra in her feet.
Boom!
The ground trembled, and a shockwave rippled outward.
In Haku and the others' eyes, Sakura's figure became a blur, too fast to follow.
The sharp crack of shattering ice echoed across the bridge, and Haku immediately understood what she was doing.
If one could track her movements, they'd see her using the mirrors like trampolines—springing from one to another, each leap harnessing her momentum to strike hard at the reflective surfaces with her sword.
"I won't let you!"
As Sakura jumped to the next mirror, Haku's form emerged from the smooth surface.
Caught off guard, she couldn't react in time.
Haku lashed out with his arms, tripping her.
There was only shadow—then the thud of impact as Sakura rolled across the ground.
But...
Sasuke and Naruto grinned as they looked at the mirrors.
Aside from a few, nearly all the mirrors were visibly cracked. One more solid hit, and they'd break for good.
Naruto didn't hesitate.
"My turn! I'll show you how strong I've become! Multiple Shadow Clones!"
With his shout, dozens of puffs of smoke burst forth on the bridge, and in seconds, an army of blond-haired brats filled the battlefield.
"Impossible! How can one person summon so many clones?!" Haku exclaimed, spinning around after dealing with Sakura, stunned.
The army of Narutos wasted no time. With a unified shout, they drew their kunai and charged the mirrors, striking with full force.
"Puff!" The clones vanished one after another with each hit, undeterred by the sacrifice. Every strike weakened the mirrors further.
Finally, a loud CRACK echoed.
The mirrors shattered—gone without a trace.
But Haku wasn't finished.
"Ice Release: Web of Spears!"
A frigid mist swept through the area, and the air itself hardened into countless icy spears. Naruto's clones were impaled instantly, unable to react.
Though Sasuke and Sakura were badly injured, they pushed through the pain, leaping away and barely evading the deadly barrage.
Naruto wasn't so lucky.
Splash!
Blood splattered across the ground. One look told the story—an ice spear had pierced straight through his shoulder.
"Naruto!" Sasuke roared in fury.
The Sharingan in his eyes spun wildly as he dashed forward.
The wind howled in his ears as he narrowly dodged the rising spears.
To Sakura and Haku, it looked like Sasuke was being overwhelmed—but the truth was very different.
His hands moved with blinding speed, leaving afterimages in their wake. A kunai infused with chakra slashed through an oncoming spear, shattering it.
In that instant, he grabbed Naruto and vanished from the danger zone, retreating beyond Haku's reach.
Still anticipating another strike, Sasuke's gaze locked onto Haku's form—but the moment he did, his pupils shrank.
"Secret Art, Ice Release: Magic Mirror Technique!"
While conjuring spears with one hand, Haku used the other to recreate the very mirrors that had just been destroyed.
This left Kakashi and Team 7 in complete shock.
Among ninja, most only learn to use the basic hand seals. Some advanced techniques or bloodline abilities require rarer seals, and elite shinobi can reduce a jutsu's complexity—sometimes down to a single seal—through mastery.
But beyond that lie two rarer realms: seal-less ninjutsu and one-handed seals.
These require an extraordinary level of chakra control—something almost no one achieves.
And Haku, a child barely older than Team 7's genin, had already reached that level.
All these thoughts flashed through Kakashi's mind in a heartbeat, and he couldn't help but admire the Hidden Mist.
'Such talent—and they cast it aside. If they hadn't purged their own ranks, the one before us today wouldn't just be Zabuza's follower… he'd be a seedling Mizukage.'