Chapter 47: Demon of the Bloody Mist Zabuza
The battle with Suigetsu Hozuki took place at the Ninja Academy's training grounds.
One was a long-renowned genius, the other a genius who had risen like a comet.
Undoubtedly, it attracted a large crowd of people.
People began arriving one after another two hours before the appointed time.
But the onlookers did not get their fill.
Because it ended very quickly.
It was a terrible feeling.
They clearly hoped it would last for dozens of minutes, but in the end, it only took a few seconds.
The tea poured before the fight was still warm after it ended.
At this moment, Suigetsu Hozuki was too young and did not have the Executioner's Blade.
Naruto, holding the Dragon-Slaying Great Spear, dodged Suigetsu's hurried first strike and defeated him directly with a backhanded 'Return of the Horse' spear thrust.
Although the spear had no head, the terrifying power still knocked him down, leaving him completely dazed.
"I yield."
Naruto said indifferently, ignoring Suigetsu's resentment as he turned to leave.
He quickly followed the relevant procedures and submitted an application for graduation to the school.
He created the fastest legend in the Hidden Mist Village.
Enrolled in one day, graduated the next.
However, he wasn't scheduled for an exam immediately.
Instead, he waited for a week at Mei Terumī's home.
At a certain training ground in the Hidden Mist Village.
Naruto and nearly thirty other students gathered together.
Except for him, they were basically all children over ten years old.
He suddenly remembered the cruelty of the Hidden Mist Village's exams.
Did he have to kill all these guys?
While Naruto was thinking, over a dozen people slowly walked into the field.
The leader was indeed the baby-faced Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi.
Aside from Mei Terumī and Ao, Naruto didn't recognize anyone else.
But there were two people among them he could guess.
Zabuza and Kisame.
Mainly because the two of them had very distinctive features.
Especially Kisame.
In his past life, Naruto had seriously doubted whether this guy's parents were even human.
Otherwise, why would he look so much like a shark?
Has Zabuza not defected yet?
Naruto wasn't very clear about the current situation in the Hidden Mist Village.
He only remembered that Zabuza became a rogue Ninja because of a failed assassination attempt on the Mizukage.
"I will now announce the rules for this exam."
Mei Terumī took a step forward, looking at the little ones in front of her, her gaze lingering a bit longer on Naruto.
"The rules are simple: a survival exam. Cross the forest in front of you and reach the finish line alive to graduate. If you give up or fail, you can use a signal flare, and a teacher will come to rescue you."
Since Zabuza killed all the students in his year, the Hidden Mist Village's Genin exam had undergone reforms.
Relatively speaking, it was now quite mild.
Isn't this just a Battle Royale?
Naruto turned and walked into the forest.
His perception spread out.
Not a single person came to trouble him.
But he still received some small 'gifts.'
Wild beasts placed in advance by the Hidden Mist Village.
Because of this, Naruto got to taste authentic bear paw.
When he leisurely reached the finish line, he found he was actually in first place.
"You're not bad."
The chief examiner, Ao, nodded, pretending it was his first time meeting him. "Wait for the others to arrive."
Another hour passed.
Nearly eleven people arrived one after another.
"Now for the team assignments."
Ao took out a roster, scanned their abilities, combined them with their recent performance, and began calling names.
"Lord Ao."
After hearing his name, Naruto raised his hand and asked, "I have admired the Mizukage since childhood. Is there a chance I could take the Mizukage as my master?"
"Insolence!"
Ao's expression froze as he said, "The Mizukage is not someone you can just approach."
"Ao."
Mei Terumī smiled and said, "It's perfectly reasonable for Gen Shisei to make such a request. Being able to defeat Suigetsu Hozuki in seconds is enough to prove his talent. To be honest, the Jonininstructor you just assigned to him might not even be his match."
After her, some supported the idea, some opposed it, and some remained indifferent.
All in all, it was quite lively.
"Lord Mizukage, what do you think?"
Mei Terumī threw the question to Yagura Karatachi.
The expressionless Mizukage, dressed in green, finally had a reaction.
Well, it was actually Uchiha Obito.
He looked at Naruto.
Jonin-level Chakra, exquisite spear techniques.
Calling him a rare genius was naturally no exaggeration.
Perhaps... he could be made to join the Akatsuki Organization.
Provided, of course, that he agreed with the Eye of the Moon Plan.
This thought flashed through Obito's mind.
At only eight years old, Gen Shisei was perhaps not inferior to Kisame Hoshigaki, whom he had already fooled into joining.
"I accept."
Yagura Karatachi nodded after a moment.
Seeing this, Naruto immediately knelt on one knee and said: "Greetings, Master."
At this point, all three steps of Mei Terumī's plan had succeeded.
Afterward, she made no further moves.
And Naruto began learning Wind Release Ninjutsufrom Yagura Karatachi.
Uchiha Obito, the man behind the Mizukage, picked up Naruto's files at this time.
After double-checking, he couldn't help but smile.
He had always liked Ninjas with painful pasts.
Because such people would often follow him and help him realize the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Like Uchiha Itachi before him.
But he still needed to observe for a while longer.
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
Naruto lived quite happily.
Learning Wind Release, practicing spear techniques, and being teased by the older sister figure.
The only pity was that he hadn't seen the mastermind, Uchiha Obito.
He didn't even know where he was.
But his opportunity soon arrived.
On a dark and windy night.
Zabuza attacked.
Naruto was the first to discover him.
Besides being close to the Mizukage, he knew this 'Demon' wouldn't be content with silence and would likely attempt to assassinate the Mizukage, just like in the original story.
Mist emerged from nowhere, growing thicker and thicker.
Naruto took a deep breath. To be honest, Zabuzamight be one of the strongest Ninjas he had ever faced.
His strength was definitely not poor.
In the original story, his and Haku's deaths seemed more like the result of plot-mandated killing.
Naruto's hands began to form seals.
The Hidden Mist Village's specialty was the Silent Killing Technique.
But it just so happened that he had learned Wind Release from the Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.
One of those Ninjutsu could be called its natural enemy.
Wind Release: Typhoon Following a Passing!
A cold wind swirled around him, rapidly expanding to form a typhoon.
"Who?"
The thick mist dissipated, revealing Zabuza's figure. His face turned cold, "Brat, don't go looking for death!"
The long and massive Executioner's Blade was quite oppressive.
In his hands, it was like a heavy mountain peak falling from the sky.
The blade reflected Naruto's calm expression.
If he remembered correctly, the Executioner's Blade could absorb the iron from the blood of enemies to repair itself.
Basically, a Bloodthirster sword.
So, he should try his best not to get injured.
Naruto gripped the long spear with one hand. Before the great blade could land, he flicked it upward, thrusting directly toward Zabuza's abdomen.
Zabuza was simply too tall.
He let out an angry grunt, pushed off with his legs, and friction against the ground sent him flipping upward.
The Executioner's Blade didn't change direction, falling straight down.
Naruto rolled on the spot, his long spear instantly turning around as he lunged forward with a 'One Thousand Years of Death' strike.
For a moment, Zabuza couldn't pull back his strength.
Feeling the sharp edge aimed at his backside, he swung his right leg in a rotation, kicking the long spear off course.
Immediately after, the Executioner's Blade left his hand, flying out.
A vicious wind approached.
Naruto, instead, found himself in danger.