45. It's a trap

---

Normally, a Water Wall takes six hand seals to create, raising a water barrier from the ground. But Tobirama's version only needs two seals.

A massive amount of water shoots out, spiraling and rising to form a hollow water column.

If left uncapped, it almost looks like a water-based version of a different jutsu.

Zabuza's Water Dragon clashed with Naruto's Water Wall. The dragon's head and body started to wear down, some of it merging into the Water Wall and strengthening it, while the rest splashed out, injuring a nearby shadow clone.

Naruto, Sakura, and Tazuna were safe inside the Water Wall.

The remaining five shadow clones rushed toward where the Water Dragon had gone, each holding a small blue orb.

Zabuza swung his giant sword, slicing through three clones with one swipe and kicking another aside.

When the last clone was about to smash its Rasengan into his waist, Zabuza blocked with his sword.

The Rasengan hit the blade, causing a thin crack to appear in it before the clone was taken out too.

At the same time, the Water Dragon dissipated, and the Water Wall gradually came down.

Naruto noticed Kakashi snapping out of his stillness, charging at Zabuza with lightning crackling in his hand.

Kakashi's Lightning Cutter sprint was incredibly fast. Realizing he couldn't dodge in time, Zabuza reluctantly raised his large sword to block.

With a loud clang, the Executioner's Blade shattered, the broken half scratching Zabuza's calf before sinking into the water.

Just then, an ice wall shot up, blocking Kakashi's attack.

"Ice Release?" Kakashi dispersed the Lightning Cutter, stepping back cautiously, eyeing the masked boy who had come to Zabuza's aid again.

"Retreat!" Zabuza growled, knowing his leg injury would only get worse if he kept fighting. He had no choice but to pull back and recover.

Haku quickly helped Zabuza retreat, but Kakashi didn't pursue them.

As the thick mist slowly cleared, Naruto sent several shadow clones to try and retrieve the broken blade that had sunk into the water.

They couldn't find it, so the clones dispersed themselves in frustration, feeling guilty for not completing their task.

Naruto rubbed his temples, a bit exasperated. "You guys tried hard, why feel bad about it?"

Kakashi lowered his headband to cover his Sharingan, sighing in relief. "Zabuza probably won't be back for a while. Let's keep moving."

Naruto watched Kakashi for a moment. "Did we win this time, or was it just another draw?" he wondered. Kakashi didn't seem too worn out.

The group of four, plus Tazuna, continued westward. Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Sakura was annoyed that she hadn't done much in the fight, despite Naruto giving her so many explosive tags she never got to use.

Sasuke, with his two-tomoe Sharingan active, was lost in thought, already thinking about when he could spar with Naruto again.

A grin spread across his face, nearly reaching his ears.

Suddenly, Naruto remembered something.

"Hey, Kurama, can you sense if Zabuza's coming back?"

"Of course," Kurama replied curtly.

"Then why didn't you warn me earlier? I could've hit him with a Water Cannon and ended it."

"Didn't you say you wanted to practice your sensory ninjutsu?"

"But that's for training. This was a real fight. I can practice later."

"Don't you humans believe that progress happens faster when your life's on the line?"

"But Zabuza isn't strong enough to make me feel any real danger."

"Are you relying on that white-haired guy up front, or the two scrolls Kushina left you?"

"Both. And besides, you give me plenty of confidence too..."

"Wait, did you just call my mom by her name? Are you not mad anymore?"

Kurama usually called Kushina "that woman" or something similar. Why the change today?

"This fox can call her whatever he wants."

"Oh," Naruto mumbled, feeling a bit awkward.

Kurama fell silent. His attitude toward Naruto's family had changed a lot over the years.

It started with Naruto himself. Kurama noticed the kid was never afraid of him, even telling him stories when they first met.

When Naruto learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu, his first thought was to lend it to Shukaku, and now he even complained when Kurama didn't help him.

Then there was Kushina. She had said something pretty bold to Kurama back when she first sealed him: "You have the power to dominate the world, but I can dominate you."

For over a decade, Kurama had hated her, wanting to crush her when he was finally free, even though his real anger was aimed at the one who controlled him with the Sharingan.

But later, as Naruto's sealed space evolved, so did Kushina's. The fox and the woman argued daily.

but no matter how intense their fights got, Kushina never restricted Kurama's movements within the seal.

Oddly enough, Kurama started to enjoy their quarrels because Kushina treated him like a person, not a beast.

And then there was Minato and Naruto. Their chakra had a warmth to it, and under Naruto's influence, Kurama noticed they held no malice toward him.

The most surprising thing was that whenever Naruto's family talked about Kurama, they referred to him as "he" in the common ninja language, not "it."

Kurama closed his eyes. "Strange humans..."

---

The group finally arrived safely at Tazuna's house.

They were greeted with what seemed like a modest but hearty dinner, with plates full of fish.

Naruto thought it must be a specialty of the Land of Waves and decided to give it a try.

Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter, wasn't bad at cooking, and everyone ate with gratitude.

The next day, Naruto, realizing he wouldn't stay healthy without some greens, took out a scroll his mother had prepared.

He pulled out a variety of vegetables, fresh meat, and other ingredients, handing them to Tsunami while asking for a healthier, balanced meal.

Tsunami didn't refuse, though she felt a bit embarrassed, knowing the household was already tight on resources.

After breakfast, Tazuna went to work on the bridge, and Kakashi took the students to guard him while they trained nearby.

Kakashi leaned against a tree, his hands in his pockets.

Sakura sat under the tree, fully engrossed in her book.

But while Kakashi read an 18+ novel, Sakura was deep into medical textbooks. Their reading choices couldn't have been more different.

Sasuke, with his Sharingan active, focused on honing his Chidori, the sound of chirping birds echoing through the area.

He pierced a tree with his first Chidori, then another with a second, grinning like the twelve-year-old he was.

It seemed like he might unlock a new level of his Uchiha heritage at any moment.

Naruto, meanwhile, released 30 shadow clones.

Ten worked on improving sensory ninjutsu and the Flying Thunder God jutsu, ten trained Rasengans to smash trees and stones, and the last ten worked on refining his wind nature transformation.

The real Naruto strapped on weights, ran a few kilometers to warm up, and then found a random tree to punch and kick.

Kakashi glanced up occasionally, watching his three students. It was great—everyone knew what to work on and was making progress without much guidance.

The birds chirping here and the explosions were a bit noisy, but Kakashi contentedly turned to the next page of his book.

Only to find that the chapter had ended.

--

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