The Sharingan had three stages of evolution: the eye of insight, the eye of hypnosis, and the eye of copying.
Sasuke had heard the theory, but he had never once seen the copying ability used in real combat. Until now.
With the Sharingan activated, Kakashi perfectly synchronized with Momochi Zabuza and released the exact same Water Dragon Bullet Technique.
Two massive dragons of water collided in midair, exploding into a towering wall of waves.
"He copied a jutsu that complicated in just a few seconds… perfectly." Sasuke stared, stunned.
For the three kids, watching elite jonin clash was already overwhelming.
Zabuza himself was shaken too. Kakashi shouldn't have been able to release the Water Dragon Bullet at the same time as him. With his understanding of the Sharingan, it should memorize hand signs, then copy them afterward, not match him simultaneously.
This went far beyond anything he knew.
Suddenly, another figure appeared in the footage, drawing both Kakashi and Sasuke's attention.
"That guy…"
No matter what Zabuza did, Kakashi mirrored his movements with uncanny precision, almost like he was reading his mind.
"He… he's seeing straight through me."
Kakashi even spoke out loud the very thoughts running through Zabuza's head. That startled not only Zabuza, but everyone watching.
"Damn it… this guy…" Zabuza thought bitterly.
Kakashi's voice stayed calm. "My eyes look pretty annoying right now, don't they?"
He said it like he'd already dissected Zabuza inside and out.
"Hmph. It's still just copying, just reheating leftovers. You'll never beat me, monkey."
"You'll never beat me, monkey."
The moment Zabuza spoke, Kakashi said the exact same words in perfect sync.
It wasn't just knowing his thoughts anymore. Even the timing of the dialogue was identical.
Zabuza froze for a heartbeat, and that was all Kakashi needed to finish the hand signs.
"Water Style, Great Waterfall Technique!"
A massive torrent erupted from the water and swallowed Zabuza whole.
"How… how is he faster than me when I'm the one using the jutsu?"
Zabuza was crushed instantly, thrown violently across the water until he slammed into a tree. Kakashi's kunai came next, burying itself into him.
"It's over."
Perched on a branch, Kakashi let out a breath of relief.
"How… can you see the future?"
Zabuza couldn't stop himself from asking.
"Yes. You're going to die."
Kakashi moved to strike, but a cluster of senbon needles pierced Zabuza's body first.
The masked teenager who had appeared earlier resurfaced.
"Heh. He really did die."
Kakashi checked Zabuza's pulse. Nothing. Only then did he ease up.
Under Naruto's questioning, the masked boy revealed his identity. He claimed to be Anbu from the Hidden Mist, sent to hunt Zabuza down.
Because of the agreements between the villages, Kakashi had no choice but to let the boy take Zabuza's "corpse."
"Amazing."
Outside the footage, Sasuke focused on the masked youth's timing and speed. Zabuza had lost to Kakashi, but the masked boy's strength was undeniable.
Judging by his voice, he was about Sasuke's age, yet already at a level not far from a jonin.
Another genius. Just like Uchiha Itachi… Sasuke remembered that irritating prodigy. He had been about this age when he reached jonin level. He'd been only one year older than Sasuke when he became an Anbu squad captain.
"No… something's off."
Kakashi felt it instantly.
He had served in Anbu. He'd led an Anbu squad. He knew how Anbu moved, how they handled missions.
Different villages had small differences, but the core principles were the same.
This boy did not move like real Mist Anbu.
He didn't act like he was here to kill Zabuza, either.
Kakashi just knew something was wrong. That kid was no Mist Anbu.
"I really underestimated this…" Kakashi muttered, rubbing his forehead.
But was the Kakashi in the video actually fooled, or pretending?
Judging by the state he must have been in during that fight, he'd nearly exhausted his chakra. Two high-level water techniques would have drained almost everything.
As for the masked youth, even if he wasn't quite jonin level, he was at least Tokubetsu Jonin.
In that condition, Kakashi had no energy left to fight again. Whether he noticed the deception or not, pretending ignorance was his only option.
The masked boy probably didn't dare attack either, not after seeing Kakashi defeat Zabuza.
A fragile balance, but still a balance.
One thing was certain though: this wouldn't be the last battle with Zabuza.
Kakashi didn't know who the old man they were guarding was, but if he was Zabuza's target, the rogue ninja wouldn't give up. Shinobi rarely abandoned their missions. Their reputations depended on completing them. Rogue ninja especially had no credibility to begin with, so failure was unacceptable.
When Zabuza recovered, he'd return.
And he wouldn't come alone.
Top-level rogue jonin always attracted followers. Mercenaries, wanderers, other rogues—they formed small groups. Almost no one worked alone. Too many missions required numbers.
Next time, Kakashi would be up against another brutal fight. Zabuza wouldn't let things go, and Kakashi couldn't abandon the mission either.
A final clash was inevitable.
The only question was whether he'd defeat Zabuza alone… or if Konoha would send reinforcements before the next confrontation.
[A/N: Enjoying the story? You can read more chapters early and support me here: patreon.com/Aeroscissors]