Just as Sasuke was about to stab himself, Yoruha's eyes narrowed slightly.
He suddenly unleashed the chakra within his body.
"Boom!"
A surge of golden chakra erupted from Yoruha, its power exploding outward like a storm.
In an instant, the terrifying killing intent radiating from both Zabuza and Kakashi was completely blown away.
Moments ago, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura had been frozen in paralyzing fear—but now, it felt as if the coldest winter had suddenly been warmed by bright sunlight. The suffocating atmosphere melted away, replaced by a comforting sense of warmth.
The kunai in Sasuke's trembling hand stopped midair.
He blinked, regaining his senses, and turned toward Yoruha, who stood there with a calm expression.
"Th-this chakra... it's Yoruha's. His chakra is so strong..."
Until now, Yoruha had only shown his taijutsu skills. But the chakra he had just released was so overwhelming that Sasuke was left utterly shocked.
Naruto and Sakura also snapped out of their trance, though neither of them realized that the one who had dispersed that murderous pressure was Yoruha.
Meanwhile, deep within Naruto's body—
Inside a dim, cage-like space, a pair of massive red eyes slowly opened.
"That chakra... so familiar, yet so strange. Could it be that hateful man?"
The speaker was none other than the Nine-Tails sealed inside Naruto.
The moment Yoruha had unleashed his chakra, the beast had felt a presence it recognized—but one that wasn't quite the same.
Sensitive to chakra beyond measure, the Nine-Tails grew wary.
"If it really is that man's chakra... what is he planning?"
Memories stirred of the day it was sealed away by Hashirama Senju. The Nine-Tails' expression darkened.
The energy Yoruha had released felt too similar to Hashirama's.
Though not identical, it carried the same overwhelming vitality.
Such chakra was exceedingly rare—only Hashirama, the Sage of Six Paths, and the Sage's two sons had ever possessed it.
Still bitter about being sealed by the First Hokage, the Nine-Tails glared briefly at the bars of its prison, then shook its head and closed its eyes once more, returning to slumber.
At the same time, the chakra Yoruha had unleashed left Zabuza—hidden within the mist—momentarily stunned.
For that brief instant, he had felt a crushing pressure unlike anything before.
That chakra... it was the first time he had ever encountered something so heavy, so oppressive.
More importantly, it had completely scattered both his and Kakashi's killing intent—something that had been formed through concentrated chakra.
To disperse the killing aura of two elite Jōnin at once... just how strong was Yoruha's chakra?
"This kid... he's no ordinary genin," Zabuza thought grimly. "If Kakashi's letting him join the battle, that means he acknowledges his strength."
Kakashi cast a glance at Yoruha, understanding why he had released his chakra.
The clash of auras between himself and Zabuza had placed immense mental pressure on the genin.
If not for Yoruha, Sasuke might really have stabbed himself.
But Kakashi hadn't expected Yoruha's chakra to have grown so much stronger.
"This guy's a real monster," Kakashi thought. "Could it be because of that night...?"
He suspected Yoruha's chakra had strengthened as a result of what had happened that night.
Even so, the speed of his growth had far exceeded Kakashi's expectations.
Yoruha's gaze shifted toward Zabuza, hidden within the mist.
"Kakashi-sensei," he said quietly, "you take the offense. I'll support from the side."
Kakashi turned to him. "You can see where he is?"
Yoruha nodded. "I can sense his chakra."
Kakashi froze for a moment. "You have sensory ability?"
To detect Zabuza's chakra—such precision was the mark of a sensory-type ninja.
For Yoruha to not only sense him but pinpoint his location meant his perception was incredibly refined.
Zabuza, unaware that his position had been discovered, continued to stalk them in the mist.
With his worries eased, Kakashi finally unleashed himself fully into the battle.
"He's on the lake," Yoruha said evenly.
Kakashi gathered his chakra and focused his Sharingan toward the lake's surface.
In an instant, he spotted Zabuza standing upon the water.
Unbeknownst to him, however, Zabuza had already created a water clone.
As Kakashi prepared to strike, Zabuza suddenly appeared right in front of Tazuna.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were caught off guard.
The great executioner's blade swept toward Tazuna in a deadly arc.
The three wanted to react—to protect him—but their bodies refused to move. The killing intent of an elite Jōnin was too overwhelming; it completely froze them in place.
"Thud!"
"Squelch!"
In a flash of light and motion, Zabuza stopped.
Tazuna was shoved backward by a burst of force, and Zabuza's arm, the one gripping the blade, halted mid-swing.
Everyone looked up—and saw Yoruha standing before Zabuza.
The kunai in his hand was already buried in Zabuza's chest.
But there was no joy of victory on Yoruha's face—only calm composure.
A moment later, liquid began to drip from Zabuza's chest.
Not blood—water.
Yoruha looked at him, unsurprised.
It was only a water clone.
In the next instant, the clone dissolved into a puddle, splashing harmlessly onto the ground.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura could only stare blankly at the sight.
From his position on the lake, Kakashi had witnessed everything.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Nicely done, Yoruha."
Even though it had been just a water clone, if no one had intervened, the three genin wouldn't have stood a chance.
Tazuna would have been killed for certain.
The old bridge builder collapsed to the ground, breathing hard.
When Zabuza had swung that blade, he'd thought his life was over.
Sasuke, however, stared intently at Yoruha, his face clouded with heavy emotion.
"How... how can the gap between us be this wide? If I can't even surpass Yoruha, how can I ever kill him?"
"I need to get stronger. I have to get stronger."
Naruto, too, was stunned. He couldn't believe the difference between himself and Yoruha.
In the academy, Yoruha had barely stood out at all.
They'd all graduated only recently—so how could the gap between them have grown so vast, so quickly?
He couldn't accept it.
They were the same age, the same rank—freshly graduated genin.
So why was Yoruha already so much stronger?
Sakura, on the other hand, simply felt an overwhelming sense of safety.
Out on the lake, Zabuza's eyes narrowed in surprise.
"That brat... how could he be that strong? He should only be a genin."
"His reaction speed and battle instincts... they're already on par with a Jōnin."
"Who is that kid? Some kind of prodigy trained by the Leaf?"
Zabuza was shaken by Yoruha's strength.
Originally, he had only expected to deal with Kakashi and three inexperienced genin.
But now, it was Kakashi—an elite Jōnin—and Yoruha, whose strength was undeniably at Jōnin level.
In other words, he was up against two elite opponents at once.
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