That woman?
Which woman?
Zabuza's mind briefly froze at Kakashi's words. In Konoha, only a few female shinobi were truly famous. The name that first surfaced in his thoughts was one of the legendary Sannin Tsunade Senju, the Slug Princess known for monstrous strength and medical ninjutsu.
No… this wasn't the time to think about that!
Zabuza forced his attention back to the battlefield. Ahead of him stood a kid capable of overwhelming Fire Release techniques beyond normal genin level, another kid whose Lightning Release and clone-based coordination felt abnormal, and then there was Copy Ninja Kakashi who had already copied thousands of jutsu and was still not fighting seriously.
If he couldn't find his rhythm here, this wasn't just a bad fight… it was a losing battle.
Zabuza's instincts screamed danger, but his pride as one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist wouldn't allow retreat. A swordsman who fled after a few exchanges would no longer be feared.
"I'll end this!"
Zabuza surged forward, targeting Naruto first.
Naruto immediately clapped his hands.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
A burst of white smoke exploded, and dozens… then hundreds of Naruto clones filled the battlefield. His chakra reserves, inherited from the Uzumaki bloodline and amplified by the Nine-Tails sealed within him, allowed absurd clone output far beyond normal limits.
Zabuza's pupils tightened.
Impossible… even jōnin struggle with this level of mass cloning!
He swung the Executioner's Blade violently, cutting through clone after clone, but the numbers did not decrease they increased.
Above him, Sasuke leapt into position.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Then again
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A far larger flame surged forward, burning across the battlefield with intensity far beyond standard academy-level techniques.
Kakashi, who should have been leading the fight, was now observing from the side. Even he found their coordination troublesome. Zabuza had no intel on either of them, which made prediction nearly impossible.
But Kakashi's attention was not fully on the fight.
Instead, he glanced at Sakura.
"Kakashi-sensei… what should I do? How am I supposed to catch up to them?" Sakura's voice carried frustration and uncertainty.
She had already realized it during academy days Naruto's abnormal chakra reserves and vitality, Sasuke's perfect score dominance in all fields. Compared to them, she felt like she was standing still.
Kakashi sighed slightly and placed a hand on her head.
"Sakura, I gathered reports from your instructors before assigning teams. Your chakra control is excellent, and your genjutsu aptitude is above average. That's your path."
"Genjutsu…" Sakura hesitated. "But is that enough? I heard genjutsu users don't reach high ceilings…"
"Ceiling?" Kakashi interrupted lightly. "Don't think about ceilings yet."
He paused briefly, as a certain green-clad figure flashed in his mind then he quietly dismissed the thought.
"…There is another path with extremely high potential, but I don't recommend it for you right now."
Sakura tilted her head in confusion, but Kakashi didn't continue.
"Set a small goal first. The Chūnin Exams are coming soon. Start there."
"Okay…"
Meanwhile, the battlefield escalated further.
Zabuza was breathing heavily now, realizing something terrifying.
These two… if they grow a few more years… they might surpass even the Mizukage level.
Naruto and Sasuke, despite being overwhelmed by a jōnin, were adapting rapidly mid-fight.
Then
A calm voice entered the battlefield.
"Naruto. Sasuke. Let's go together."
Kakashi stepped forward.
The air shifted instantly.
With a relaxed motion, Kakashi raised his hand.
"Lightning Release…"
Crackling chakra erupted like thousands of birds screaming at once Chidori.
Zabuza's expression twisted.
How am I supposed to fight this?!
Kakashi's eyes narrowed calmly.
Just another mission.
And then the three of them pressed forward together.
Naruto with clones, Sasuke with fire and lightning coordination, Kakashi with precision assassination timing.
Zabuza was pushed back step by step.
From a tactical standpoint, he had already lost control of the battlefield.
From a psychological standpoint, he was overwhelmed.
From a survival standpoint… it was over.
Meanwhile, Haku watched from a distance, frozen in hesitation, unable to intervene without risking immediate death.
The situation had already deviated completely from what should have been the original flow of events…
Far away, in the Land of Fire.
Chinatsu walked through a quiet town, shoulders slumped.
Three months had passed since leaving Konoha.
Hidan and Kakuzu took two days.
Tsunade took eighty-eight.
And the remaining days… were nothing but endless disappointment.
"According to black market intel… Tsunade should be somewhere around here."
Her voice lacked energy.
Three months of casinos, rumors, dead ends nothing but repetition. Tsunade's reputation as a legendary Sannin gambler only made her harder to track, always moving, always losing, always disappearing.
Boring.
Too boring.
Chinatsu dragged herself into a village.
"Excuse me… is there a casino here?"
Her smile was forced.
The villager she asked immediately felt a chill and pointed away nervously before running off.
"…I need sleep."
She slapped her own cheeks lightly and forced herself forward.
Soon, she arrived at a small gambling den.
Inside, a crowd gathered around tables.
Chinatsu's expression slightly improved.
Finally… something familiar.
Without hesitation, she reached into her bag and pulled out remaining cash from her earlier funds.
"If Tsunade is here… I'll find her eventually."
And she stepped inside the gambling hall once again.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVNACE 40+ CHAPTERS
Patreon.com/kora_1