In the end, after we agreed to help Tazuna—despite the fact that he had hidden important details of our mission—he finally told us the whole story. About how Gato, a major merchant, had taken control of all shipping in his country, effectively becoming a monopolist. In short, Gato was terrorizing the nation however he pleased, hiring assassins and bandits to eliminate anyone he considered a "competitor."
Did Tazuna understand that Gato had hired shinobi to kill him? Yes. However, our client simply couldn't afford a B-rank mission. In the end, he had no choice but to rely on us—and on the hope that we wouldn't abandon the job once we heard the name Gato. And to make sure we wouldn't back out, Tazuna-san decided to play on our sympathy, saying that if he were killed, his daughter and grandson would be left in a truly miserable situation…
What we heard left us feeling uneasy… Even Kakashi-sensei, looking tired, promised to see the mission through to the end.
"Don't worry, drunk builder—we'll help you! But as a bonus for the mission, you'll have to do something for me!" I declared.
"Huh? What do you want, brat?" the old man asked, looking at me with interest.
"It's simple. You haven't finished the bridge yet, right? Once you do, you'll name it after me. 'The Great Naruto Bridge'—sounds awesome, doesn't it?" I replied with a cheerful grin.
"…" Tazuna didn't know what to say.
"…" Neither did my team, who were staring at me like I'd completely lost my mind.
"It'll be amazing! Once I become Hokage, you'll tell locals and tourists alike that this bridge was named after the great Hokage—Naruto Uzumaki!" I continued enthusiastically.
"…Ha-ha-ha! You're a funny brat! You know what? If we really manage to finish the bridge, then I'll actually do it!" After a few seconds, realizing that I wasn't joking, Tazuna burst out laughing.
But it wasn't mockery—there was something else in it. Judging by his expression, our client didn't really believe he'd ever be able to complete his project. My words helped him realize something, though what exactly was hard to say. After that conversation, Tazuna's mood visibly improved.
Well, what can I say—that's my role in this world. I am Naruto Uzumaki, the ninja who inspires people! I daydreamed.
After another day of travel, we reached the maritime border between our countries. A boatman was waiting for us by the shore, having set up camp near his vessel. Most likely, thanks to this man, Tazuna-san had been able to cross the strait and reach our village in the first place.
Climbing onto the boat with my team, I felt a bit nervous. Even though I knew things were unfolding according to the canon storyline, I couldn't help myself. Our enemy was Zabuza—also known as the Demon of the Hidden Mist. And out on the water, we were literally in his element.
Thank the gods, we made it across without incident—Zabuza didn't attack us in open water. After reaching the shore of the Land of Waves and jumping off the boat, I stayed on high alert. Somewhere nearby lurked a dangerous rogue ninja, preparing to ambush us.
As we headed toward our client's house, keeping our eyes peeled, I suddenly heard a rustle in the bushes. Pulling a kunai from my pocket, I threw it toward the sound. Our group halted. Kakashi-sensei moved into the bushes, while Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna approached me.
"What is it, Naruto?" Sakura asked. I couldn't help but notice—her attitude toward me had improved.
"I don't know… it feels like someone's watching us," I replied, slightly furrowing my brow.
"…" Sasuke silently studied me, judging how serious I was.
"…?" Kakashi-sensei emerged from the bushes holding a wounded white rabbit, examining it closely.
"You hit a rabbit, you monster!" Sakura-chan exclaimed when she saw him.
"But I really thought it was an enemy!" I protested.
"Get down!" Kakashi-sensei suddenly shouted, crouching sharply. A massive sword flew toward us at incredible speed!
"…?!" Sakura instantly grabbed me, and we both fell to the ground.
"…!" Sasuke knocked Tazuna down with him.
What a strange feeling. On one hand, it's nice lying on the ground with a girl holding you—especially one you have feelings for… On the other hand, we're in danger! A highly dangerous shinobi just attacked us, and I completely lost focus!
"Well, well… Could it be that the infamous rogue ninja of the Hidden Mist—Momochi Zabuza—has paid us a visit?" Kakashi addressed our enemy, lifting his forehead protector to reveal his left eye.
"And you must be Sharingan Kakashi… Sorry, but that old man is mine!" Zabuza declared, standing dramatically atop his massive sword—Kubikiribōchō—embedded deep in a tree trunk.
"…?!" For the first time, I saw genuine shock on Sasuke's face. No surprise—he hadn't known our sensei had a Sharingan all this time.
"Ugh… Look, I'm not judging anyone's orientation, but wanting that drunk old guy is kinda—" I decided to troll Zabuza. That was a mistake.
"You're a funny little rat… You'll die first!" Zabuza snarled, throwing several kunai at me.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!" Thankfully, Kakashi-sensei stepped in and deflected them with his own kunai.
"Your opponent is me, Zabuza," he said calmly.
"So be it… Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Technique!" Pulling his massive blade from the tree, Zabuza leapt toward the shore. Standing atop the water, holding his sword with one hand, he formed a seal with the other and unleashed his signature technique.
"…"
Everyone fell silent, afraid to make a sound. The mist thickened, slowly enveloping us. The tension was suffocating.
"He'll come after me first. Back when he was a shinobi of the Hidden Mist, Zabuza was famous as a master of silent killing. I can't claim full mastery of the Sharingan, so stay alert," Kakashi-sensei warned us.
"Eight vital points: liver… lungs… spine… subclavian vein… carotid artery… brain… kidneys… heart… which one should I go for?" Zabuza's voice echoed through the mist as it grew denser.
"…!" Kakashi-sensei formed a concentration hand seal, carefully scanning the area.
"…Ghh!" As for us, things weren't looking good. We were scared. The mist was saturated not just with chakra, but with bloodlust. Looking at Sasuke, I saw cold sweat running down his face. Terror was etched into Sakura-chan's expression—yet to her credit, she held her kunai firmly, even though she was trembling.
"Don't worry, Sasuke. I won't let my comrades die," Kakashi said, turning toward us.
"…"
Strangely enough, those words made things feel easier—especially for me, knowing Kakashi-sensei's past.
"Well then—let's see!" Zabuza declared, appearing right among us—literally between me, Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna.
"…?!" We froze in horror.
"…!" But before Zabuza could act, Kakashi-sensei instantly intervened. Blocking the Demon of the Mist's strike with his kunai, he engaged him in combat.
It's happening so fast! My eyes can barely keep up! This is the true power of real shinobi! I thought.
From there, our team could only watch in silence as Kakashi and Zabuza clashed. The force of their blows could be felt from afar. Kakashi dodged Kubikiribōchō and tried to exploit an opening—but when he stabbed Zabuza through the heart, the body turned into water. A Water Clone. The real Zabuza appeared behind him and sliced Kakashi clean in half—only for that to be another Water Clone. Our sensei reappeared behind Zabuza, kunai at his throat.
"Surrender, Zabuza. You've lost," Kakashi declared.
"Impressive. But if I were you, I wouldn't celebrate just yet," Zabuza replied—or rather, his clone did.
"…?!" Kakashi was caught off guard.
Zabuza appeared behind him again and swung his blade, but Kakashi dodged just in time. Unfortunately, he lost his balance and couldn't evade the follow-up attack. With a spinning kick, the Demon of the Hidden Mist sent our sensei flying toward the shore. Splashing into the water, Kakashi tried to recover—but Zabuza was faster.
"Heh, got you! Water Release: Water Prison Technique!" With a cruel grin, Zabuza trapped Kakashi inside a sphere of water. The pressure immobilized him completely.
"This is bad!" Knowing the weakness of the technique—that it required one hand to maintain—I attacked, throwing several shuriken at Zabuza.
"Don't rush, little rat… We'll have plenty of fun," Zabuza sneered. He quickly created a Water Clone, which easily deflected my shuriken.
"Retreat! Your job is to protect Tazuna-san! The clone can't chase you—it has to stay near the original!" Kakashi shouted, revealing the technique's weakness.
"As if that's an option! If you die, then that creep with weird tastes will kill us and the drunk builder anyway!" I shouted back, refusing to obey.
"…You'll die a long, painful death, boy," Zabuza said coldly, along with his clone.
"…?! Shadow Clone Technique!" I felt killing intent surge through me. I was terrified—but I knew standing still wasn't an option. Gathering my resolve and chakra, I created twenty shadow clones.
While my clones rushed toward Zabuza's water clone, I dropped my backpack and pulled out a folding shuriken. Sasuke tried to support the clones with fire release, but I stopped him in time.
"We're not on his level. Our goal is to free Kakashi," I whispered, handing Sasuke the shuriken.
"…And what's your plan?" he asked.
"My clones distract his clone. We attack the real Zabuza together," I replied quietly.
"…Alright," Sasuke nodded, serious.
"We'll only get one chance," I said, focusing my chakra and watching my clones.
The first ten clones were effortlessly dispersed, but they left behind smoke, obscuring the clone's vision. Using the moment, I created another shadow clone and transformed it into a folding shuriken. Sasuke was surprised, but quickly caught on. He picked it up and hid my transformed clone in the shadow of the real shuriken. The remaining ten clones surrounded the water clone. I knew they stood no chance—but victory was never the goal. Distraction was.
"Sexy Technique: Elderly Men Harem!" My clones chose the most… unconventional solution. Instead of beautiful girls, they transformed into naked old men.
"…?!" Zabuza's water clone—and the original—froze in shock.
After a few seconds, it sank in. Zabuza tried to threaten me—but stopped short when he noticed a giant fuma shuriken flying toward him, thrown by Sasuke. He caught it easily.
"So I was your target all along? Hidden Shadow Shuriken Technique? Trying to catch me off guard? I'll just dodge!" He noticed a second shuriken. With both hands occupied, he jumped to evade it.
"Surprise!" My shadow clone flew past him, canceled the transformation, and hurled a kunai straight at his head!
"…Brats! I'll kill you!" Zabuza was furious—his expression was priceless.
"I don't think so. Good work, Naruto. Sasuke. Now it's my turn to get serious," Kakashi-sensei said, freed from the prison, standing between us and the Demon of the Hidden Mist.