With the decision made, Team Seven pressed on.
Another full day of travel carried them beyond the borders of the Land of Fire and into the waters of the Land of Waves. Morning mist clung to the sea like a living thing, thick and pale, swallowing sound. Fish shadows slid beneath the surface, seaweed drifting lazily in the currents. For Naruto and Sakura, it was their first time this close to the ocean, and they couldn't quite hide their curiosity.
Sakura murmured that, without Gatō tightening his grip, a place like this could have thrived on its scenery alone.
Sasuke wasn't looking at the water.
From the small boat, his gaze cut through the fog toward a faint outline. An island. The unfinished bridge. Everything matched what he expected. That was exactly why his guard stayed up.
Another shinobi. The one Gatō had hired.
A name surfaced in his mind, unwelcome but familiar.
If it's really him… this timing is wrong.
The fog shifted.
Two presences slid across his senses, sharp and cold, laced with killing intent.
"So it starts now," Sasuke said quietly. "We're being watched."
The moment the words left his mouth, the air changed.
Kakashi's posture tightened. Before he could speak—
A massive blade tore out of the mist.
The executioner's sword spun end over end, howling through the air toward the boat.
"Down!" Kakashi shouted.
Naruto and Sakura dropped instantly. Dazna froze, eyes wide.
Sasuke grabbed the old man by the collar and slammed him flat just as the blade screamed overhead, carving through fog where their heads had been.
The danger wasn't over.
Thunder split the air.
From above, a blade of lightning descended, cleaving straight toward the center of the boat.
"Scatter!"
Kakashi leapt forward. Naruto and Sakura sprang with him. Sasuke hauled Dazna back, choosing distance over height.
The lightning struck.
The boat split cleanly in two, wood exploding outward as the remains sank beneath the waves.
They landed on the water's surface.
A figure emerged from the mist.
Bare-chested, tall, wrapped in bandages, a massive sword resting on his shoulder. His presence alone pressed down like weight.
"So you're here," the man said, voice low and rough. "The Copy Ninja of the Leaf."
Kakashi met his gaze. "Zabuza Momochi."
Zabuza smiled without warmth. He stood on the water as if it were solid ground. "Didn't expect to run into someone so famous."
His eyes flicked past Kakashi. "Hand over the old man. I'll make it quick."
Kakashi's visible eye curved. "I'll pass."
His forehead protector lifted, revealing the crimson Sharingan.
"Sakura. Naruto," Kakashi said calmly. "Protect Dazna. This one's mine."
They moved to comply—
The water surged.
Ice needles erupted in a storm, forcing Naruto and Sakura to break away.
A smaller figure stepped forward, face hidden behind a Mist hunter-nin mask.
"Sorry," the masked shinobi said softly. "You're not going anywhere."
Sasuke didn't look back.
His attention was fixed on the last figure standing apart from the others.
Green hair spilled from beneath a hooded black cloak. In his hands were twin, forked blades humming faintly with electricity.
Lightning crawled along the metal like living veins.
Kurosuki Raiga.
So it really was him.
One of the original Seven Ninja Swordsmen. The first wielder of the Lightning Fang.
Raiga didn't rush. He simply watched, eyes dull, measuring.
The mist thickened again, swallowing sound, swallowing distance.
Three battlefields formed at once.
And the sea held its breath.