(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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"I'll go first!"
At that moment, Colt stepped forward, forming a one-handed seal.
"[Wind Release: Great Breakthrough]!"
The mist on the battlefield was instantly blown away by the swift winds.
Kakashi, regaining his vision, quickly threw three kunais.
Haku stepped forward, water splashing at his feet.
"[Secret Jutsu: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death]!"
Thousands of water needles flew out, some colliding with the kunai while others streaked towards Colt and Kakashi.
Colt didn't hesitate, cutting a path through the needles with Kaminari. His Sharingan activated, easily tracking the needles' trajectories.
Zabuza sneered, beginning to form hand seals.
He had been careless before, but not anymore. With water sources all around, this was his home turf.
Colt smiled disdainfully. If Terumi Mei were here, he might fear her Water Style. But Zabuza's 44-seal Water Dragon Bomb? No, he's good.
Quickly forming six seals for the Water Style jutsu left by Tobirama, Colt unleashed his own attack attack.
Though not at Tobirama's level, his six seals were far faster than Zabuza's technique.
"[Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu]!"
Under Zabuza's terrified gaze, a ferocious water dragon emerged from the lake, roaring towards him.
Still in the midst of forming seals, Zabuza took the full brunt of the attack. The powerful impact sent him flying, crushing his ribs and forcing blood from his mouth.
"Zabuza-sama!" Haku cried out anxiously, seeing his master's plight.
"Worry about yourself!" Kakashi snapped, frustrated by his own usual laziness which led to Colt dealing with things that were supposed to be his responsibility.
How could Haku be distracted in the middle of a fight?
Haku's strength was not to be underestimated.
With the [Crystal Ice Mirrors], his speed was incredible, and Kakashi struggled to counter him. He had to rely on his superior strength to constantly pressure Haku's movements.
Meanwhile, Zabuza had been blasted back hundreds of meters by the water dragon. If not for his half-broken executioner's blade absorbing most of the impact, he would have suffered far worse than just some blood leaking.
Colt moved to finish off the temporarily incapacitated Zabuza. But as he struck, he sensed something was off.
This feeling... a water clone!
"Die, little brat! You thought it would be that easy? I am one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!" Zabuza appeared behind Colt, swinging his broken sword with a grim expression.
He put all his strength into this attack, the air whistling around the blade.
One hit would mean instant death.
However, Colt's expression remained calm as he blocked with Kaminari, holding the executioner's blade at bay.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen? Isn't that the group that got kicked around by a Konoha Genin?" he taunted.
The undisguised mockery made Zabuza's face turn purple with rage, blood still staining his features.
The scene was almost comical.
As they struggled to push each other, both fighters leapt back.
"Zabuza."
Hearing Colt call his name, Zabuza instinctively looked over.
He found himself staring into a pair of blood-red eyes, the tomoe swirling into a mysterious pattern.
A strong sense of danger welled up in Zabuza's heart, but it was too late.
Tsukuyomi was activated.
Zabuza's grim expression became dazed as Colt's right hand crackled with lightning once more.
"[Chidori Sharp Spear]!" A beam of lightning shot out, instantly piercing Zabuza's throat.
Even in death, his consciousness remained trapped in the Tsukuyomi space.
"Zabuza-sama!"
Haku, still fighting Kakashi, felt a pain in his heart and looked over instinctively.
He saw the [Chidori Sharp Spear] mercilessly pierce through Zabuza's throat.
Taking all of Kakashi's attacks, Haku ran desperately to Zabuza and cradled his body.
"Zabuza-sama…" he murmured, stroking the face that would never speak again, the light fading from his eyes.
(E/N: Well, this was quite sad to edit)
Colt didn't attack, quietly watching the scene. Even Kakashi approached and stood by.
Haku gently wiped the blood from Zabuza's body, then faced Colt with a respectful tone.
"My only request is to be buried together with Zabuza-sama."
Colt sighed, understanding that for Haku, Zabuza had been his entire world.
With that world destroyed, he had no reason to live.
"I agree, but I need to take the executioner's blade," Colt said.
Kakashi remained silent, paying his respects to such a loyal subordinate.
"Thank you," Haku said with a smile, using a fragment of the executioner's blade to slash his own throat.
And so, the two enemies who had first appeared in the original timeline both fell here. It was a pity that this time, Zabuza did not have the glorious experiences of his previous life.
Without Colt's intervention, Zabuza's resume would have been unmatched: Punching Ashura, kicking Indra, making Sakura cry, trapping Kakashi in a water prison. Things even Kaguya couldn't accomplish.
The water from their Jutsus gradually dissipated, revealing the original landscape.
Colt buried Zabuza and Haku together as agreed. Furthermore, to prevent grave robbers from disturbing them, he didn't erect a tombstone.
After completing this task, the group resumed their journey. Tazuna's pace was much lighter now.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were unusually quiet. They had witnessed the entire battle.
Whether it was Colt killing Zabuza or Haku holding off Kakashi, the experience had left an indelible impact on them.
"Colt, please, teach me how to become stronger!" Sasuke suddenly looked at Colt with sincere determination.
"Well, technically I'm your instructor," Kakashi said, scratching his head in embarrassment. He realized that he hadn't actually taught the three of them much.
"Anyway, we'll be staying in the Land of Waves for a while, so let's do some special training," Colt suggested.
Their mission wasn't just to escort Tazuna home, but to wait until the bridge was fully completed. It would take about two weeks.
Sasuke didn't reply, but kept staring at Colt expectantly. Naruto did the same.
Kakashi's unreliable image had become deeply ingrained in their minds.
"Look, Kakashi-sensei is a genius of Konoha. He even taught me Chidori," Colt said with a shrug.
He didn't want to waste time teaching Sasuke and Naruto the basics.
Hearing this, Sasuke reluctantly agreed.
Kakashi was speechless. Had he really become so insignificant to his students?
Back in Tazuna's village.
The old man quickly spread the news to the villagers, that Colt and Kakashi had defeated Gato's ninjas.
The villagers cheered, "Great! We have hope!"
"Can we finally be free of Gato's oppression?"
Countless people cried with excitement, looking at the ninjas with admiration.
This left Naruto and the others feeling lost. From the very beginning, they had been little more than a hindrance.
That evening, Colt slipped out of their lodgings and headed towards Gato's company headquarters.
He hadn't forgotten that Gato was the main objective of this mission.
As one of the wealthiest individuals in the ninja world, Gato had countless subordinates.
Even besides Zabuza, he employed several rogue ninjas as guards.
But against the Sharingan, these small fries were just that - small fry.
Colt was soon led to Gato's residence by a ninja under his Genjutsu control.
The sounds of fighting outside had already reached the room.
Seeing Colt appear, Gato didn't panic. Instead, he remained unusually calm.
"Let me live, and I'll leave the Land of Waves forever. Plus, I'll give you a fortune," he offered.
"Aren't you ninjas motivated by money? One million ryo - I'll give you one million if you leave now."
Seeing Colt's indifference, Gato grew desperate and kept increasing his offer.
Two million, three million, up to ten million.
Finally, Colt showed no interest.
"I think… I'll take all you have!"
His Sharingan activated, and Gato obediently handed over all his cash.
Colt quickly assessed the haul - at least 300 million ryo.
The wealth of ten Asumas was now his! (E/N: 30million or 25M for Asuma I think)
His time had finally arrived.