"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Recalling that Naruto's Gale Palm was more powerful when combined with shuriken, and seeing that he couldn't create shadow clones, Hinata also took action. "Shurikenjutsu!" she shouted, unleashing her own volley of projectiles.
In an instant, Naruto's Gale Palm, Sasuke's Great Dragon Fire Technique, and Hinata's perfectly coordinated shuriken attack all merged into one. The wind fanned the flames, and the shuriken rained down through the inferno, roaring towards Zabuza's water clone.
This was a combined attack from three genius ninja—arguably the strongest move Team 7 could currently unleash.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!" Zabuza's clone slammed its fist into the water, and a barrier of water shot into the air to try and stop the attack. However, while Water Release was effective against Fire Release, it stood no chance against the wind-amplified flames. With a deafening roar, the water barrier was blasted away. The giant fire dragon, the violent gale, and the rain of shuriken slammed into Zabuza's body.
"Ah—!" With a final scream, the water clone shattered completely, turning into a shower of water droplets that scattered into the river.
"Well done, Team 7!" Kakashi cheered.
Zabuza was utterly shocked. *They actually destroyed my water clone?! They're just three kids, how could this be?* Although it was just a water clone, it was still a Jonin's clone. Even an ordinary Chunin couldn't have broken through it so decisively.
"What a formidable bunch," Tazuna said, giving a thumbs-up.
"Now you know how powerful we are!" Naruto laughed loudly.
Zabuza's creation of the water clone had weakened his main body, and now that it was destroyed, it was a complete loss.
"Kakashi-sensei, let's help too!" Naruto shouted.
"Naruto, your primary objective is still to protect Mr. Tazuna," Kakashi stopped him. "We don't know if he has any other companions."
"Naruto-kun, Kakashi-sensei is right," Hinata nodded.
"Don't worry," Kakashi said with a slight smile. "I can handle him by myself. I will never let any of my comrades die again."
"How arrogant!" Zabuza replied coldly. "Water Style: Great Waterfall—" Before he could finish, Kakashi's left eye flared, and not only did he copy Zabuza's movements, but he launched the ninjutsu first.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
"What?!" Zabuza's eyes widened in terror. "That's the ninjutsu I was about to use! Why did he use it before I did?!"
In an instant, with a deafening roar, the raging river water transformed into a massive, violent tornado of water that crashed against the shore, sweeping Zabuza up in its torrent. The immense power of the technique left Naruto and his friends speechless. When the water receded, Zabuza's body was slammed against a tree trunk, unable to move.
"You lose," Kakashi said, panting heavily as he covered his Sharingan again.
"As expected of Kakashi of the Sharingan," Zabuza said with difficulty. "In this battle, I have indeed lost. But..."
Before he could finish, several senbon needles shot out and pierced his throat. His body immediately collapsed, showing no signs of life.
"Huh? Who is it—"
"Kakashi-sensei, he's up there!" Hinata said quickly.
Kakashi, his chakra nearly exhausted, looked up and saw a young man wearing a strange mask standing on a branch, coldly watching the battlefield. "You... you are..." The boy was slender, with long hair swaying in the wind. "A hunter-nin from Kirigakure?"
The boy neither confirmed nor denied it, simply saying, "I have been tracking this person for a long time. Thank you. I can finally report back." He then appeared on the ground next to Zabuza. Kakashi checked his neck and nodded. "He is indeed dead."
"I must take his body with me," the boy said.
"Fine."
"Damn it!" Naruto clenched his fists. "We worked together to take down one of Zabuza's water clones, and that guy killed Zabuza's main body all by himself?!"
"Naruto," Kakashi said with a wry smile, "monsters like this really do exist in this world."
"Are we just going to let him take Zabuza away like that?" Sasuke asked, clearly unconvinced.
"Zabuza was a rogue ninja," Kakashi explained. "The hunter-nin are responsible for hunting them down and destroying their bodies to prevent the village's secrets from being leaked. This is standard procedure."
The boy nodded, then picked up Zabuza's "corpse" and prepared to leave.
Suddenly— "No, that's not right," Hinata called out softly.
"What's wrong, Hinata?"
Hinata, who was still using her Byakugan, had spotted the flaw. "That... that Zabuza... he's not dead yet! Although his heart and pulse have stopped, my Byakugan can still see his chakra circulating weakly. He's faking his death! This so-called hunter-nin is probably his comrade, trying to use this trick to rescue him!"
The boy's body trembled slightly and, in the blink of an eye, he had to flee. But carrying a body, he couldn't move too fast. Before he could get far, Kakashi blocked his way.
"Hinata, what exactly happened?"
"Kakashi-sensei, though it seems Zabuza was killed by the senbon, and his heart stopped, my Byakugan can still see his chakra circulating faintly. He's in a state of temporary death! This supposed hunter-nin is likely his comrade, trying to deceive us and rescue him!"
Kakashi felt a wave of relief. If it weren't for Hinata, he would have let the tiger return to the mountain. "I see."
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