Chapter 42: CHAPTER 42
The Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey, Might Guy, renowned across the Five Great Shinobi Nations, right?
As an elite jōnin, his mastery of taijutsu is so formidable that even the expert close-combat ninja of the Land of Lightning acknowledge his prowess.
However, based on prior intelligence gathered by Momochi Zabuza, it appears that…
Might Guy isn't particularly skilled in reconnaissance.
Could it be the 12-year-old kid beside him?
Zabuza immediately dismissed the thought as ridiculous. That boy wasn't even wearing a forehead protector—how could he have such an absurd idea?
Unable to find a satisfactory answer, Zabuza chose to abandon the question entirely.
"Hand over the old man, and I'll let you all leave," Zabuza's gaze locked onto Tazuna.
"Yosh! Another chance for battle!"
Guy's eyes gleamed with excitement. He didn't bother responding to Zabuza's demand.
In an instant, his green figure blurred, closing the distance in a flash.
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
Guy's form appeared in midair above Zabuza, his right leg brimming with raw power as it came crashing down.
Zabuza's eyes narrowed—his expression betraying surprise at Guy's sheer speed and force.
Raising his Kubikiribōchō, the Demon of the Hidden Mist swiftly positioned the massive blade to absorb the impact of Guy's devastating kick.
"So, this is Konoha's taijutsu master?" Zabuza muttered in a low tone. "Your reputation is well-earned. But you're out of luck, facing me."
Swoosh!
Zabuza's form dissolved into a pool of water upon impact—a Water Clone.
From a new position on the bridge, the real Zabuza swiftly formed a hand seal, his chakra surging.
"Hidden Mist Technique!"
A thick, eerie mist engulfed the battlefield instantly.
The already overcast sky became entirely shrouded, reducing visibility to near-zero.
"Kazuki, stay alert! His target is Tazuna!" Guy called out in warning.
But Kazuki had already drawn the katana at his waist. His voice was calm.
"No need to worry. He came at just the right time."
Clang!
A crisp unsheathing sound rang out.
The next second, the sharp clang of colliding blades echoed repeatedly.
Kazuki had stepped forward, positioning himself between Tazuna and the assassin. With only a single black-bladed sword, he effortlessly parried Zabuza's attacks.
"This kid… has this level of strength?"
After several exchanges, Zabuza's attention was completely drawn to Kazuki.
Though the boy wore no forehead protector, his skill was undeniable.
Not only had he fended off Zabuza's relentless strikes, but the thick mist—normally a death sentence for an opponent—seemed to have no effect on him.
Was this the sensor-type ninja he had suspected earlier?
More than that, Zabuza's interest piqued as he studied the unusual weapon in Kazuki's hands—a completely black katana capable of blocking Kubikiribōchō.
In a deep tone, Zabuza asked, "Kid, what kind of sword is that?"
The black blade, extending from hilt to tip, had an unnatural sheen. Even for a seasoned swordsman like Zabuza, it was unlike anything he had seen before.
"This is my Nichirin Blade," Kazuki declared, eyes gleaming with battle fervor. "I'll show you its true power."
The sword had been crafted four years ago, and through relentless training, Kazuki had refined his Water Breathing swordsmanship to its peak.
While its grade was merely three-star, the raw cutting power it could unleash rivaled that of a five-star weapon.
After years of honing his technique, Kazuki had finally mastered every form of Water Breathing!
"Water Breathing… First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
With a loud cry, he lunged forward.
His Nichirin Blade arced downward, slicing through the mist itself.
Shhh!
A brilliant arc of blue sword energy, interwoven with cascading water, surged forward like a tidal wave, roaring toward Zabuza with crushing force.
This chakra-infused blade energy spreads rapidly,
Like a surging tidal wave, it forms one immense slash after another,
Crashing toward Zabuza Momochi with relentless force!
"What kind of technique is this?!"
Zabuza's eyes widened in disbelief as he roared. He quickly raised the Kubikiribōchō, its massive edge gleaming menacingly, to counter the incoming attacks.
The vibrant blue chakra-infused slashes, resembling cascading torrents of water, smashed against the Executioner's Blade.
One strike!
Two strikes…
Three strikes…
Zabuza's grip tightened, his face growing increasingly pale as each impact sent tremors through his arms. Blood seeped from the torn skin of his palm, the raw force of the sword energy breaking through his hardened muscles.
The fourth strike arrived!
Zabuza's body was finally overwhelmed.
The sheer force of the sword energy sent him hurtling backward, both him and his Kubikiribōchō flung through the air!
His body crashed against a massive tree, splintering its trunk before he was thrown even farther, skidding along the ground as the blue chakra energy dissipated.
A clean, deep trench carved itself between the two fighters—stretching seventeen or eighteen meters, marking the ferocity of the slashes.
Four consecutive strikes,
Each one deadlier than the last.
By the time the fourth had landed, its power covered an area nearly twenty meters in range. To match such devastation, only an A-rank Water Release jutsu could compare!
It was undeniable—Kazuki's mastery of Water Breathing: Crushing Wave had reached a level that even an elite Jōnin like Zabuza feared.
"Even though I've already seen Kazuki's swordsmanship before,"
Might Guy, watching from the dissipating mist, couldn't help but exclaim:
"Each time, it astounds me anew. His combination of pure sword technique and that treasured Sun Blade is beyond remarkable.
To produce slashes of this magnitude… even Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, might not have surpassed him!
It's unimaginable that he achieved this level through self-study."
With Zabuza momentarily incapacitated,
Kazuki didn't immediately press the attack. He glanced at the Sun Blade in his grip, its power evident in every strike.
Despite being a three-star weapon, his techniques had elevated it to a force that even the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's famed Executioner's Blade struggled against.
Mastery of swordsmanship and a warrior's instincts were invaluable,
But a truly exceptional blade could further amplify one's strength.
Kazuki looked at his Sun Blade and murmured to himself:
"If a three-star Sun Blade already possesses this much power,
Then once I acquire the blueprint for a Zanpakutō and forge a true one, how strong will I become?"
Anticipation welled within him.
His gaze snapped toward Zabuza's Executioner's Blade, still embedded in the ground.
In a flash, Kazuki channeled chakra into his boots, doubling his speed as he surged forward, slashing toward Zabuza once more!
Zabuza, still recovering, knew that his sword skills alone wouldn't suffice.
He abandoned his blade, forming a sequence of rapid hand seals.
Despite the searing pain in his battered body, his Jōnin-level resilience allowed him to suppress his injuries.
Blood soaked the bandages around his face from his earlier coughing fit, yet his hands moved at remarkable speed.
Even with a complex B-rank Water Release technique requiring over twenty hand seals, he completed them in mere seconds.
Just as Kazuki closed in, Zabuza roared:
"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
Pouring his chakra into the mist-laden battlefield,
The once-calm surface of the water surged into violent waves.
"Go!"
Zabuza commanded, and a colossal water dragon erupted from the surrounding mist, spiraling into the sky before plummeting toward Kazuki with devastating force!
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