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Zabuza Momochi.
The man who punches Indra and kicks Ashura, who can go toe-to-toe with the Sixth Hokage, who scared the new Sannin monster-strength Sakura Haruno into paralysis, the man with the most outrageous battle record in all of Naruto!
Yagura’s palms itched.
He clenched his fists.
He hadn’t expected to run into this man so soon.
Also worth mentioning: before defecting from the Hidden Mist Village, Zabuza Momochi once attempted to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage.
That is, Yagura himself.
But Zabuza was elite jonin level at best.
To assassinate the Fourth Mizukage, he would’ve faced not only a perfect Three-Tails jinchuriki, but also Obito Uchiha lurking in the shadows.
There was no way in hell that assassination could succeed.
After failing, he defected.
Everyone knows the rest.
He picked up Haku by the roadside, then later encountered Kakashi’s Team 7 in the Land of Waves…
Half of Zabuza’s face was dead serious.
The other half — even the bandages around his neck couldn’t contain it — stared at the person in front of him.
The seriousness was because Yagura was strong.
A freshly enrolled Academy student with defenses that could withstand exploding tags.
The not-holding-it-together part was because…
what kind of nonsense was this guy spouting?
Fourth Mizukage?
Did he think this was the Leaf Village?
Where every brat runs around shouting “I’m gonna be Hokage” and playing pretend?
“Hey, what are you doing back here!”
Mangetsu Hozuki’s face flushed red.
He’d underestimated the enemy.
Gotten careless.
Ambushed by some guy who came out of nowhere with an exploding tag, and the whole process witnessed by Yagura!
And he’d been saved by him!
In that split second, Yagura had flashed in front of him and pulled the exploding tag off the kunai.
Then coral rose up and blocked the explosion.
“My, my, my. If I hadn’t come back, you might’ve been taken out.”
Yagura turned his head and gave Mangetsu a gloating grin.
“Showing off isn’t a good habit, Mangetsu.”
Did Mangetsu really think Yagura hadn’t noticed someone tailing them?
Mangetsu wanted to go solo, so Yagura played along.
Pulled Kaede Onime away first, then circled back for a counter-strike.
“I did not. I could’ve dodged it. You were meddling.”
“Yeah, yeah~”
Humoring Mangetsu.
Preserving his tiny pride at his tender age.
Yagura turned back to face Zabuza.
“You’re strong.”
Zabuza raised his kunai toward Yagura’s heart, his gaze brimming with battle-lust.
“Fight me!”
“Ah, this…”
Yagura wasn’t really in the mood to fight. Get faster updates on g.com.
This would be kicking someone when they’re down.
Zabuza had just been through a scrap with Mangetsu.
Neither his stamina nor his chakra were at full strength.
But looking at Zabuza’s expression right now.
“Hah. Seems like you won’t stop and talk properly until I beat you down.”
Water-element chakra rapidly surfaced, gathered, and condensed in Yagura’s hand.
A short water-blade formed in his grip.
“Didn’t bring a ninja sword, so this’ll substitute.”
Yagura twirled the blade and smiled.
“I’ll exchange just one move with you.”
Was this his weapon?
Zabuza watched Yagura with even greater wariness, tightening his grip on the kunai while rapidly forming hand seals.
He could precisely control chakra condensation into shape without even using hand seals.
That required extremely high chakra control.
As expected.
He was strong!
“Mhm, mhm. You’ve got quite the look in your eyes, Zabuza.”
Yagura tucked the water-blade by his waist, lowered his stance, and stepped his right foot back against the ground.
Huff—
He opened his mouth, took a deep breath, and pressed his foot down to gather power.
Focus it to a single point!
Lightning Release!
Terrifying lightning-blue chakra erupted.
Yagura’s entire presence shifted in an instant!
“Thunderclap Flash!”
BOOM, the ground beneath Yagura’s feet shattered!
A blur of lightning streaked past!
So fast.
Neither Mangetsu nor Zabuza could track Yagura’s speed!
“Checkmate.”
An ice-cold voice sounded right by Zabuza’s ear.
Gulp…
Mangetsu stood stunned, unable to stop himself from swallowing.
The last time he and Yagura had sparred, Yagura hadn’t used this move.
He’d only used Lightning Release to reinforce his body.
Still Lightning Release.
But this ninja sword technique Yagura called “Thunderclap Flash” was clearly a further enhancement beyond basic Lightning Release reinforcement.
He’d been holding back.
Mangetsu asked himself: if he were in Yagura’s opponent’s position right now, he’d probably end up even worse off than Zabuza.
CRACKLE…
fizz…
At this very moment, the lightning-wreathed water-blade had stopped just a hair’s breadth from Zabuza’s neck.
The kunai Zabuza had reflexively raised to block was sliced clean through, its pointed tip clattering to the ground.
Zabuza hadn’t even fully registered what happened.
His pupils were still fixed on the spot where Yagura had been standing.
Then he snapped back.
Realized what situation he was in. Get faster updates on g.com.
His pupils quaked…
Even though Zabuza was indisputably top-tier among his peers, he was still just an 8-year-old kid.
Now, faced with genuine death, his legs couldn’t help but tremble.
No good.
I lost.
This guy can kill me effortlessly!
Taking in the fear in Zabuza’s eyes, Yagura lowered his gaze and chuckled softly.
The next second, he flipped his sword hand.
The water-blade moved away from Zabuza’s neck.
Then the blade, saturated with Lightning Release chakra, burst apart with a splash.
Water scattered onto Zabuza.
The numbing, tingling sensation of electrified water jolted Zabuza back to his senses.
He immediately checked his hands, his feet, then touched his neck.
He hadn’t been killed.
He was still alive.
Reading what Zabuza was thinking, Yagura clasped both hands behind his back, stepped back two paces, and said with an easy smile: “I don’t have any grudge against you. Why would I kill you?”
A simple scare, a bit of playing around.
That was enough.
Any further would be rude.
Might even leave Zabuza with childhood trauma.
“Quite the opposite, actually. I’m rather fond of you, Zabuza Momochi.”
Yagura lightly patted Zabuza on the shoulder.
Only to discover an awkward fact: he actually had to raise his hand just to reach Zabuza’s shoulder.
Mangetsu was about the same height as him.
Zabuza was a whole head taller.
Yagura’s expression didn’t change as he continued: “Zabuza, is your current dream to become one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?”
Off to the side, Mangetsu had been ready to burst out laughing, thinking Yagura would be embarrassed.
Instead, Yagura wasn’t embarrassed at all.
Mangetsu was the one feeling embarrassed on Yagura’s behalf.
Those words sounded way too familiar.
“A dream?”
Zabuza slowly came back to his senses.
Tch.
He stowed the broken half of the kunai back into his pouch and let out a scoff, his sharp gaze fixed on Yagura.
“I want to get stronger! I will defeat you!”
Keep getting stronger, challenge even stronger opponents, and take them down!
“Mhm, not bad. Keep at it.”
Yagura smiled, noncommittal.
“My dream is to become the Fourth Mizukage and end the Bloody Mist. Mangetsu’s dream is to become the leader of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Kaede’s dream, for now, is also to be a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Right, Kaede?”
Having been present for a long time but unknown because he hadn’t spoken, Kaede Onime was suddenly called out.
Under the surrounding gazes, he nodded stiffly, like a tool.
Whatever.
You’re a social terrorist, I’ve got social anxiety.
If you say so, then sure.
Yagura withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and looked back at Zabuza.
Just like Upper Rank Three, he extended his hand and invited him with a friendly smile: “Become one of my Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Zabuza. I’ll give you the Severing Sword, Kubikiribocho. How about it?”
➤ Next: Someone’s Eating from Their Own Bowl While Eyeing the Pot