47. Return of demon - 1

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"Naruto, there's malicious intent approaching," Kurama suddenly warned.

Naruto, who was warming up with a run, stopped abruptly.

His fingers touched the ground as he closed his eyes to sense the presence. "They aren't hiding their presence... It must be Zabuza and Haku."

"Kakashi-sensei, we have an emergency!" Naruto quickly removed his training weights and sprinted in the direction of Tazuna, with Sasuke and Sakura following closely behind.

Kakashi was even faster. By the time the three of them arrived, Kakashi had already blocked the senbon Haku had aimed at Tazuna with his kunai.

Zabuza was still standing on the bridge more than five meters away, taunting, "It's been a long time, Kakashi. Are you still dragging these brats around? Don't you think they're just deadweight?"

Kakashi, never one to back down, smirked and retorted, "Aren't you also dragging a brat along this time?"

"Hmph," Zabuza sneered, "Haku is different from them. I've trained him since he was a child, and today, nothing will stop us!"

With that, Zabuza began forming seals to use the Hidden Mist Jutsu.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura arrived at the battlefield just in time. Seeing the seals forming, Naruto threw a kunai and shouted, "Sakura! Sasuke!"

"Understood!" Sakura also threw a kunai.

Zabuza, dodging the kunai, scoffed, "Such childish tricks... wait, an explosive tag?"

His eyes widened as he quickly leapt sideways, barely avoiding the explosion.

Sasuke, with his Sharingan activated, had already predicted Zabuza's landing spot and launched the Phoenix Fire Release, sending a barrage of fireballs toward him.

Zabuza, still in mid-air, had to pull out his massive sword to deflect the fireballs, his actions clumsy and awkward.

Though not particularly damaging, the attack was undeniably humiliating, prompting Zabuza to roar, "You brats!"

Naruto turned to Sakura, "Sakura, don't forget to keep using those explosive tags. We can't let him complete any jutsu!"

"Got it!" Sakura replied eagerly, glad to finally contribute.

She quickly threw three more shuriken, each laced with explosive tags.

Naruto then shouted to Kakashi, "Kakashi-sensei! We'll handle him with long-range attacks. Just hold him off until we wear him down!"

"Leave it to me," Kakashi said, remembering how well the team had worked together during the graduation exam.

He was confident that as long as he took out Haku quickly, the kids could manage until he returned.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Sakura's shuriken explosions forced Zabuza to keep dodging. The blasts blew his headband off, leaving him seething with rage.

"Don't get cocky, you brats! Do you even know who I am?! Haku, keep Kakashi busy. I'll take care of these kids!"

"Yes, Zabuza-sama!" Haku, trusting in Zabuza's strength, moved to engage Kakashi.

As Kakashi and Haku clashed, the battlefield shifted further away, leaving Tazuna in the middle of the chaos, confused and unsure of what to do.

Naruto quickly formed the Water Dragon Release and sent a massive water dragon hurtling toward Zabuza. Despite his efforts, Zabuza was forced to defend.

Whenever an enemy starts talking during battle, Naruto sees it as an opportunity. If you don't take advantage of their distraction, you're wasting the moment.

Zabuza dodged the water dragon, splashes of water hitting his face, bringing him back into focus. He realized he had to be cautious—these kids weren't ordinary Genin.

Although Zabuza was reluctant to admit it, he recognized that these brats were skilled enough to force him into a tactical retreat.

He wanted to use the Hidden Mist Jutsu, but every time he tried, Sakura's explosive tags interrupted him.

Sakura's physical skills hadn't improved much since graduation, but watching Sasuke train with the Body Flicker and Chidori every day had sharpened her eyesight.

If she couldn't track Sasuke's high-speed movements, how could she admire his handsome face? This was the power of love (obsession) and affection (madness).

Zabuza desperately tried to avoid getting blown up by the explosive tags, but before he could regroup, Naruto's Water Release or Sasuke's Fire Release would be right on top of him.

The team's seamless coordination kept him from getting close, and their relentless mid-to-long-range attacks prevented him from forming seals.

The plan was clear: either take him down from a distance or stall until Kakashi could help.

No matter how laid-back Kakashi usually was, he was still one of Konoha's elite join. He wouldn't struggle against Haku for long, right?...Right?

Ten minutes passed, and Zabuza was growing increasingly frustrated.

He tried to charge forward multiple times, but his attempts were always thwarted.

He couldn't help but question how this pink-haired girl had so many explosive tags.

It seemed endless! Were they free in Konoha? Was their economy tanking from overproduction?

And that blond brat—was he cheating? How could his Water Release be stronger than Zabuza's own, without even using seawater?

Meanwhile, the Uchiha kid was sweating but still keeping up. What kind of monsters were these Genin?

Something was off. The Uchiha's Fire Release was stronger than any he had seen before, in both scale and temperature.

If this was the standard for Genin, what were those other Chunin he'd encountered?

Naruto didn't know that Zabuza was on the verge of losing it.

He only knew that Sasuke couldn't hold out much longer, so he decided to end it.

As Zabuza dodged yet another explosive tag, Naruto formed the seals and shouted:

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Ten shadow clones appeared, and together with Naruto, they all formed seals:

"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!" x11

Today, Naruto would show Zabuza what it meant to be outclassed by sheer numbers and tactics.

Zabuza's eyes widened as he saw eleven water dragons blocking all his escape routes, and he muttered in disbelief:

"You call this a Water Jutsu?!"

****

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