"HUH?" Kakashi said as he had one hand in the air and was about to say start. Even the others who were so excited to see the fight didn't understand what just happened. One second Yami was standing in front of 6 Narutos and the next second Naruto was on the ground and Yami was standing behind him. Only Kakashi, Neji, and Sasuke were able to follow that speed.
"Mom, what just happened?" Inari asked seeing the unconscious Naruto.
Tsunami just shrugged and then looked at Sakura for an answer who was still in shock. She didn't even understand that Yami hit Naruto. According to her Naruto just fell down.
'I thought seeing Naruto and Yami fight others would get encouraged but Yami didn't even give him a chance.' Kakashi thought. Now he regretted telling Yami to finish it fast. He wanted Naruto to stop his over-dependence on shadow clones and focus on actual combat.
Yami looked at the people around him. He saw some confused, some impressed, and two people tightening their fists. These two people were Neji and Sasuke. Seeing how Yami defeated Naruto both of them understood that they are still a long way from defeating him.
'I need to ask the Patriarch and Grandfather to teach me some jutsu or else he will leave me in the dust. The day our squad was going to be announced, I wished that I wouldn't get a team that would hold me back but now it feels that I may become the weakling that will hold Yami back.' Neji thought.
Sasuke on the other hand was feeling a little guilty.
'Did I just feel jealousy against my own little brother? Am I going to become like that man and one day kill my own blood? NO...no matter how strong Yami gets I am nothing but proud of him.' Sasuke thought.
Yami looked at Sasuke and said "I am going a little deeper in the jungle. I'll be back in an hour or two."
"Huh?...Oh okay." Sasuke said in a daze.
Yami left the open space and headed deep into the forest. Right now when the fight was about to start he sensed some movement in the forest. At first, he thought it was just an animal or just a strong wind. But he still wanted to check it out. Back at the training ground Inari and Tsunami were waiting for Sakura to answer while Sakura was looking at Kakashi and Sasuke.
Sasuke sighed and said "Yami found who the real Naruto is and appeared behind him delivering a blow on the neck making him unconscious. When the real loses consciousness then the clones also dissipate."
"B-But how did he know who the real one is?" Sakura asked to which Sasuke shrugged.
"Sasuke, Sakura both of you stop thinking about it. Yami must have had a method to find that. Get back to your training while I tend to Naruto." Kakashi said as he went to pick up the unconscious Naruto.
While all this was happening Yami was heading toward the sound he was hearing. As he reached close he saw Haku with a basket of flowers in his hands sitting under a tree while the white tape-covered Zabuza was sitting on top of a boulder.
'Haku doesn't have a mind of his own. Talking to him won't have any effect. As for Zabuza, he won't listen to me unless I prove to him that he stands no chance against me. I hate to do things by using force but some people are so simple-minded that force is the only language they understand.' Yami thought. He didn't have his sword but he preferred to keep the entire thing as quiet as possible.
'I just hope Neji doesn't look in this direction with his byakugan.' Yami thought as he jumped down from the tree. Zabuza who saw someone jump down in front of him at some distance took a fighting stance. Haku also dropped his basket and held a few senbon needles in his hand.
"W-Who are you?" Haku asked.
Without looking at Haku Zabuza said "He is a hidden leaf Shinobi. Don't you see that headband Haku?"
Not waiting for the both of them to keep talking Yami activated his Sharingan. Seeing this Zabuza quickly said
"That kid with Kakashi had eyes like you. Kid, are you one of those overconfident kids who think they can take on people just because academies call them a genius?" Zabuza said with a snicker.
"I have an offer for you." Yami said in a cold tone. He wasn't interested in bickering with Zabuza. But Zabuza wasn't going to keep listening to a kid so he rushed toward Yami to cut his head off in one move. He didn't even feel the need to spread the mist as he had done for Kakashi and the others.
Just when the sword was a meter away from Yami, he side-stepped dodging the slash. Zabuza wanted to take another swing but Yami hit a chop on his wrist making Zabuza's grip on the sword loose. Yami then held the sword from the hole in the sword and snatched it from Zabuza.
Zabuza had never expected a 9-year-old kid to take away his sword as if an adult was snatching a toy. He took time to react because he couldn't even process this happening. Yami then kicked Zabuza in the stomach making him fly back to where Haku was standing. As Zabuza fell down he groaned and hearing this Haku quickly ran to him and crouched down.
"Zabuza are you alright?" Haku said while checking his injuries.
"Arghh...I am fine. Who the hell is this kid?" Zabuza said as he stood up and looked at the red-eyed Yami. He saw Yami had his sword. For Zabuza who was one of the seven swordsmen of the mist, his sword was his identity and now it was gone. He had no idea how he was going to fight without a sword.
"You can't fight without your sword and if Haku tries to attack me you know what will happen to him." Yami said with a small smile on his face.
'That smile looks so innocent but it feels like the devil is looking at you. Even with his Kekkai Genkai Haku won't survive a few seconds against him.' Zabuza weighed his options.
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