Chapter 127 (Patreon)

Yujiro and Kakashi led Team 7 toward the Land of Waves at an unhurried pace.

Half a day had passed since they left Konoha, and the group was now making its way through a dense forest.

Kakashi quietly moved closer to Yujiro.

“Yujiro, there are five shinobi hiding on both sides of us.”

Yujiro gave a slight nod, an unconcerned smile appearing on his face.

“Don’t worry. Let the three of them handle this themselves.”

“All right.”

Kakashi nodded and continued walking as though he had noticed nothing.

Whoosh!

The moment their brief conversation ended, two kunai shot out from the trees on either side of the road.

Both were aimed directly at Tazuna.

Before the kunai could reach him, Sasuke and Naruto reacted simultaneously, each knocking one out of the air.

Yujiro and Kakashi merely watched from the side.

Judging by their chakra, the five attackers were only around the level of elite genin. They were suitable opponents for Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.

“Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!”

Sasuke quickly formed the hand seals before releasing a blazing fireball toward one of the enemy shinobi.

“Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!”

Naruto naturally refused to fall behind.

Dozens of shadow clones appeared in bursts of white smoke before charging into the surrounding forest, while Sakura remained beside Tazuna and focused on protecting him.

Yujiro paid little attention to the battle.

His gaze had already shifted toward the far end of the forest.

There was another chakra signature waiting there.

Unlike these five attackers, that presence unmistakably belonged to a jōnin.

Momochi Zabuza.

So he still appeared after all.

A faint smile crossed Yujiro’s face.

Was this the influence of destiny?

Either way, the tool he needed had finally arrived.

Zabuza could help force out the power of Ashura within Naruto and the power of Indra within Sasuke.

Don’t disappoint me, Zabuza.

After all, this was a man who had once sent Ashura’s reincarnation flying with a punch, trampled Indra’s reincarnation beneath his feet, and even trapped Kakashi Hatake inside the Water Prison Jutsu.

Those accomplishments alone were enough for Zabuza to be proud of.

Five minutes later, the battle ended.

Sasuke and Naruto stared at the five shinobi lying in pools of blood. Despite their victory, their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

This was the first time either of them had killed anyone.

It was only natural for them to feel afraid.

Afterward, Kakashi questioned Tazuna about the attack. Faced with no other choice, Tazuna finally revealed the truth about the mission and the situation in the Land of Waves.

Yujiro couldn’t help but smile after listening to his explanation.

Everything was unfolding almost exactly as he remembered.

Was this really what people called fate?

Yujiro chuckled softly and casually raised the black blade in his hand.

“I’m the last person who would believe in something as ridiculous as fate. If it stands in my way, I’ll simply cut it apart.”

Fate meant nothing in Yujiro’s eyes.

If it tried to bind him, he would sever it with a single slash.

In the end, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura did not disappoint him. Despite learning the true danger of the mission, all three chose to continue.

“Since you’ve made your decision, let’s go.”

With Yujiro’s casual words, the group resumed its journey.

This time, however, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were visibly more tense. The carefree atmosphere from before had completely disappeared.

Half an hour later, they reached the edge of the forest.

Without warning, a thick mist began spreading through the trees.

“Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!”

An indifferent voice emerged from within the fog.

“It seems I underestimated your team.”

A tall figure gradually appeared in the middle of the mist.

The fog was so dense that no one could clearly make out his face.

He’s finally here.

Yujiro gave Kakashi a quick signal before vanishing from the road.

Although Kakashi was confused by his intentions, he still followed Yujiro’s lead and concealed himself within the branches of a nearby tree.

“Hahaha! Did your jōnin leaders run away the moment they saw me?”

Zabuza’s voice echoed through the mist.

It seemed to come from every direction at once, making it impossible to locate him through sound alone.

Zabuza activated his Silent Killing Technique.

In the next instant, he emerged from the fog and charged straight toward Naruto and Sasuke.

The massive Executioner’s Blade tore through the air with a terrifying howl as he swung it toward them.

If that attack connected, two bodies would instantly become four pieces.

At the critical moment, Naruto and Sasuke threw themselves aside and narrowly avoided the blade.

Even Zabuza was slightly surprised by the speed of their reactions.

Hidden among the branches of a nearby tree, Kakashi lifted his forehead protector and revealed his Sharingan. The moment he clearly saw their attacker, his expression changed.

“That’s Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist. He’s far beyond what Naruto and Sasuke can handle!”

“Calm down.”

Yujiro smiled and placed a hand on Kakashi’s shoulder.

“My two students are stronger than you think.”

Kakashi could only smile bitterly before turning his attention back to the battle.

“It seems you aren’t ordinary brats.”

Zabuza rested the Executioner’s Blade across his shoulder, a ferocious smile spreading across his face.

Using the Body Flicker Jutsu, he disappeared into the mist and resumed his Silent Killing Technique.

“Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!”

Sasuke swiftly formed the hand seals before leaping onto a tree branch.

A massive fireball erupted from his mouth and surged into the fog ahead.

Under the intense heat of the flames, the thick mist rapidly dispersed, revealing the battlefield once more.

Only then did everyone see what was happening.

Zabuza had already raised the Executioner’s Blade.

Directly beneath him stood Naruto.

“Naruto!”

Sasuke’s eyes widened in horror.

With a desperate roar, he pushed off the branch and charged toward Zabuza as quickly as he could.

“It’s too late!”

A cruel smile appeared on Zabuza’s face as he swung the Executioner’s Blade down.

Slash!

The massive blade tore through Naruto, cleaving his figure in two.

“Ahhh!”

Sasuke froze.

His expression twisted in anguish as he stared at Naruto’s fallen body.

Convinced that Naruto had been killed before his eyes, Sasuke clutched his head and lowered it as a furious roar escaped his throat.

“So weak.”

Believing that he had gained complete control of the battle, Zabuza made no immediate attempt to attack again.

At that moment, Sasuke slowly raised his head.

His eyes had turned scarlet.

Two tomoe spun within each Sharingan, releasing a strange and ominous light.

“The Sharingan?”

Zabuza froze for a moment before his expression became serious.

“I didn’t expect a brat like you to be a member of the Uchiha clan.”

His grip tightened around the handle of the Executioner’s Blade.

“Then I’ll make your death even more painful.”

With those words, Zabuza rushed toward Sasuke.

Thanks to his two-tomoe Sharingan, Sasuke could barely follow the trajectory of Zabuza’s attacks.

However, seeing the attacks did not mean he could properly counter them.

Sasuke could only defend himself, without the slightest opportunity to fight back.

As Zabuza continued increasing the strength behind his blows, Sasuke gradually reached his limit.

His defense finally faltered.

Zabuza instantly seized the opening and swung the Executioner’s Blade down.

At the same moment, a furious roar erupted from his right.

“Sasuke!”

Naruto suddenly rushed out of the mist and threw himself in front of Sasuke.

The massive blade descended upon them.

At that exact moment, two overwhelmingly powerful auras erupted from Naruto and Sasuke simultaneously!