Clang!!
Kakashi's kunai collided with Zabuza's Kubikiribocho.
In the next second, Kakashi was sent flying backward.
There was no resistance—Zabuza's overwhelming power simply crushed him.
At the same time, a burning explosive tag slipped from Kakashi's body.
Boom!!
The explosion cut off Zabuza's pursuit.
Kakashi's reaction was fast—it had become second nature to him.
Even after years of being inactive, he was still an elite Jonin of the Konoha. His past talent had carried him far.
Even without training, he was still far stronger than most ninjas.
But Zabuza was not like most ninjas.
In midair, Kakashi's eyes widened in shock.
He hadn't expected Zabuza's strength to be this overwhelming.
"No… this wasn't just raw power. This was swordsmanship."
If it was just brute force, it wouldn't have had this effect. Kakashi had fought Guy before, but Zabuza's attacks weren't straightforward power strikes.
"Slash!"
Cold steel gleamed as multiple slashes came at him.
Kakashi was ready.
"Earth Release: Earth Wall!"
A wall of earth shot up from the ground, blocking Zabuza's attack once again.
In just a single exchange, Kakashi had already fallen behind.
As the two landed and steadied themselves, Kakashi's hand moved to his left eye, ready to lift his headband.
By now, the bridge had erupted into chaos.
Naruto's shadow clones were fighting against the Blade-less Pirates, while Sakura and Orochimaru's two subordinates had also joined the battle.
Meanwhile, Sasuke had been stopped by Haku.
Kakashi only needed one glance to understand the situation.
Their chances of winning were slim.
But why had the fight suddenly started?
"You're weaker than I expected," Zabuza said, resting his sword on his shoulder.
"So this is the Copy Ninja? Not much of a big deal."
His tone was mocking, but there was no arrogance in his eyes.
Even against a weak opponent, letting down your guard in battle was never an option.
"I didn't expect a ninja as strong as you to be working for trash like Gato."
Kakashi's voice was cold.
"Hahaha, Gato? We're not working for him. But since we took his money, we have to protect him."
"And one more thing, Kakashi…"
"We're pirates, not ninjas."
Zabuza stepped forward.
His Kubikiribocho swung down in a fierce slash, his entire strength flowing from his feet to his waist, then into his arms, all focused into this one attack.
A true swordsman treats their weapon as an extension of their own body.
"Blade-less Style: Hidden Edge!"
Buzz!!
A vibration rippled through the heavy Kubikiribocho. An invisible blade tore through the air. The moment Kakashi saw the shockwave spreading from Zabuza's sword—
Slash.
His vest was instantly shredded. That invisible blade had pierced straight through Kakashi's body in an instant.
"Damn it… I clearly…"
Kakashi's left hand slowly dropped, and at that moment, his headband covering his left eye started to lift. But before it could fully reveal his Sharingan—
Poof!
Kakashi's body vanished into white mist.
At the same time, his real figure reappeared behind Zabuza.
"When you attack, you give up your defense. Every strike is also a chance for your enemy."
Kakashi had hidden himself the moment he used the Earth-Style Wall technique. Using clone jutsu and transformation jutsu, he blended in with the broken rubble from the shattered earth wall.
But the real trick wasn't just that. The real trap was when the clone covered its left eye with its hand. In that moment, to the enemy's eyes, the clone was no longer just a clone—
It was an opponent preparing to unleash a deadly move, forcing them to focus completely on it.
"This move… Jiraiya used it on me a long time ago."
Zabuza, still facing away from Kakashi, growled in frustration. There was no way he was going to fall for the same trick twice. He had held back a little in his previous strike.
"Then I'll return those same words to you. When you attack, that's also my chance."
Zabuza raised his left hand and swung around with a powerful strike.
Both of them launched their attacks at the same time. Zabuza was deliberately giving Kakashi an opening—because this was his chance too.
But the difference was, he could block Kakashi's attack. The question was—could Kakashi block his?
Clang!
Kakashi's kunai stabbed into Zabuza's right arm. But at that very instant, Zabuza's arm hardened, as if turning into steel. The kunai couldn't go any deeper.
Boom!
Before Kakashi could react, Zabuza's left-hand strike came crashing down. Kakashi was sent flying backward, like a kite with a broken string, falling off the bridge.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!!"
A flock of crows resting by the bridge scattered into the air, startled by Kakashi's sudden fall, leaving behind only a few black feathers drifting in the wind.
The next moment, Zabuza leaped off the bridge. The black feathers were blown away as he descended.
On the bridge, one crow turned its head, and faintly, the shape of a tomoe appeared in its eye.
"You've met Jiraiya-sama!"
Kakashi, midair, barely managed to block Zabuza's strike as they landed on the water.
"He was looking for information about Shanks. But Shanks is a special case… I doubt Konoha's higher-ups would have the nerve to face him."
Zabuza spoke calmly.
Even though Jiraiya had been away from Konoha for years, he was still one of their own. He must have carried some guilt regarding the Uzumaki clan.
Or perhaps, he simply didn't know how to face a man like Shanks—a man who had taken on the entire burden of the Uzumaki clan.
"I just didn't expect that even now, there's still someone with the Uzumaki name in Konoha. What? Do you really think that brat is worthy of carrying that name?"
Zabuza's gaze locked onto Kakashi's left eye.
But it didn't last long. The wound on Zabuza's right shoulder was still bleeding. As the blood dripped into the sea, he snapped back to his senses.
Genjutsu hypnosis!
"Raikiri!"
Lightning crackled in Kakashi's right hand. This time, he was faster than Zabuza.
By the time Zabuza realized what was happening, Kakashi was already right in front of him.
Blocking it head-on? Even with all his confidence, Zabuza knew he couldn't take this hit. If he got struck, he wouldn't be getting back up.
The threat coming from Raikiri was even greater than Kakuzu's Lightning Release: False Darkness.
"Blade-less Style: Empty Palm!"
There was no time to lift his sword for a counterattack. Zabuza took a step back, his body leaning slightly backward. At the same time, his Kubikiribocho barely managed to block Kakashi's strike.
The two of them crossed paths.
Blood splattered.
A deep, terrifying wound tore across Zabuza's chest, and his sword broke.
The sea, calm just moments ago, suddenly churned violently within dozens of meters in front of him, water splashing in all directions.
The impact of "Blade-less Style: Empty Palm" pierced through Kakashi's body, sending a shockwave so powerful that even the seawater behind him was forced apart.
On the water's surface, Kakashi and Zabuza's reflections flickered in the eyes of a nearby crow.
Zabuza hunched over, barely holding himself up, while behind him, Kakashi collapsed straight onto the ground.
"That was close… But luckily, I'm the captain, and I won!"
Zabuza grabbed Kakashi with one hand and started walking toward the shore.
"Caw!"
"Caw!"
"Caw!!"
A crow on the bridge let out a few cries before flying away.
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