Chapter 21: Haku
The moment the two elite jōnin's weapons clashed, a heavy killing intent erupted, almost suffocating everyone around.
Even for Naruto, this was the first time he had experienced killing intent. It felt as if he had been plunged into a bottomless, frozen abyss, his entire body immobilized as though frozen solid.
Sasuke and Sakura fared no better, standing frozen in place.
Thick mist began to rise all around. Kakashi and Zabuza were locked in a deadly blade-to-blade standoff, with no room to pay attention to Naruto and the others.
Warm chakra flowed steadily within Naruto's body, and in just a few breaths, he had adjusted himself. He turned sharply toward Sasuke and Sakura, slapping each of them on the back.
Almost instantly, their eyes lost focus for a brief moment—then snapped back to clarity as they gasped for air like drowning victims breaking the surface.
"An elite jōnin's killing intent is terrifying," Sasuke said, his face tense, still shaken.
He also realized that Naruto had been the first to recover among them, and it was his intervention that freed him and Sakura from their paralysis.
Sakura, meanwhile, was still trembling uncontrollably where she sat.
Zabuza's killing intent wasn't just some illusionary trick; it was a tangible presence, infused with chakra, brushing against their very skin, igniting primal fear in all three members of Team Seven.
"Sakura," Naruto said, yanking her to her feet. "Disrupt your chakra flow—just like when you break out of a genjutsu."
At those words, Sasuke and Sakura snapped to attention and quickly formed the release seal. It worked. They were instantly freed from their frozen state.
Elsewhere, Kakashi was already exchanging blows with Zabuza. Suddenly, a water clone of Zabuza rose silently from a puddle like a phantom, charging straight at the trio.
An elite jōnin's water clone had at least chūnin-level strength.
"Watch out!" Kakashi, even in the middle of battle, spotted the clone and shouted a warning.
In theory, Kakashi could have left behind a shadow clone to guard Team Seven. But he clearly chose not to—ninja life was survival of the fittest.
Even without his warning, the three had already seen the water clone. Sasuke pulled Tazuna back, while Naruto grabbed Sakura and retreated as well.
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted. "Quick! Shuriken!"
Three shuriken shot forward like streaks of light in response, and Naruto immediately followed close behind, clearly intending to engage.
"Sakura! Genjutsu!" he barked as he charged.
This was their first team battle; they hadn't discussed any strategy beforehand. Though Naruto was taking the lead, against Zabuza's clone it was practically like playing his hand face-up.
Tazuna, who had been boasting earlier about being an expert bridge builder, now stood frozen in terror like a stunned Psyduck, with Sasuke acting as his guard.
Sakura heard Naruto's command. Though she was panicked, her body responded in time. The genjutsu, of course, had no real effect on Zabuza's clone—but it made him hesitate for a fraction of a second.
And that was all Naruto needed.
A mechanical voice rang in his mind:
[Nine Tails' acknowledgment: 2.2%]
Crimson chakra instantly enveloped Naruto's entire body. His pupils turned blood-red as raw power surged within him.
With a boom, Naruto vanished mid-charge.
The next instant, he reappeared behind the water clone like a phantom, his sweeping kick obliterating it.
The Nine Tails' power was formidable enough to give even the Fourth Hokage and other elite jōnin a headache. Even at just 2.2%, Naruto's strength was nearing that of a tokubetsu jōnin.
Leaving aside the Lava Release he had recently gained, even this small portion of the Nine Tails' power alone was enough to put him above nearly all of Konoha's chūnin.
"That brat… how is he this strong?" muttered Tazuna, still in shock after watching Naruto dispatch the clone so effortlessly.
Sasuke, standing in front of him with a kunai at the ready, heard it clearly, and his expression darkened.
If Naruto defeating the Demon Brothers earlier could be chalked up to luck, then this—being the first to break free from the paralysis, and now taking down an elite jōnin's water clone—could not.
One incident might be luck. Two could still be coincidence. But three in a row?
It was becoming undeniable: Naruto was the strongest among Team Seven. Sasuke, by comparison, was barely above Sakura.
If Naruto had been born into a great clan, with access to the best resources and relentless training, Sasuke wouldn't have minded.
But from the moment he'd known Naruto, the guy had always been dead last—a loudmouth show-off with no skill to back it up.
Such a person wasn't even worth Sasuke's attention. He had never once considered Naruto a true comrade. And yet…
Somehow, almost overnight, Naruto had changed. He graduated as the top of the class, knew obscure clan secrets from various villages—trivial perhaps, but to an orphaned Uchiha and a civilian-born girl, they were revelations.
Whether in intelligence sharing or in sheer ability, Sasuke couldn't shake the thought:
Was he faking it all this time?
Always last place… almost too consistently last.
A deliberate act?
These turbulent thoughts churned in Sasuke's mind.
Sakura, on the other hand, exhaled in relief, clenching her hands together nervously as she thought to herself:
Thank goodness for Naruto.
If not for his call, she might have stood there like a useless log again. At least this time, she had contributed with her genjutsu.
With the clone destroyed, Zabuza no longer had the luxury of creating another. He was fully engaged with Kakashi, and both were already wounded.
Seeing this, Naruto didn't hesitate—he charged forward.
At that moment, Kakashi found an opening. Forming hand seals rapidly, he launched a Water Dragon Bullet head-on. Zabuza barely evaded but still took a hit. Before he could counterattack—
Three senbon suddenly shot out of nowhere, striking his neck.
Kakashi immediately tensed in alarm, while Naruto's brows relaxed slightly.
Finally, Haku's here…
From within the dense mist, a masked boy emerged, leaping to stand in front of Zabuza's fallen body.
Naruto's pupils contracted as he secretly began gathering chakra.