The group sailed across the calm sea and soon arrived at the port of the Land of Waves.
During the journey, the one engrossed in reading had switched from Naruto to Sasuke, who was now chuckling from time to time. Naruto had to remind him several times, fearing Sasuke might break into the infamous Uchiha crazy laughter.
What puzzled Sakura and Naruto even more was Kakashi's behavior. He had been unusually quiet, seemingly lost in thought the entire trip.
Wait... Something's wrong.
Kakashi-sensei hasn't pulled out his "Icha Icha Paradise" this whole time.
Could it be... he finished reading it?
What they didn't know was that Kakashi was battling some serious internal turmoil.
Not reading Icha Icha Paradise felt like Asuma without cigarettes or Lady Tsunade without gambling.
Kakashi never expected to have withdrawal symptoms like this.
To distract himself, he spent the entire ride staring into the sea, watching the fish swim by, just to keep his mind off his favorite book.
"Sasuke, enough reading. We've arrived."
Naruto, now off the boat, noticed that Sasuke was still clinging to his book, which annoyed him for some reason. It reminded him of how his mom used to glare at him when he spent too much time on his phone.
Who would've thought?
We're about to face a boss, and one of my teammates is still stuck reading a novel!
Between Kakashi, the "I-don't-care" master, and Sakura being... well, Sakura, Naruto was starting to lose hope.
If Sasuke slacks off too, we're done for!
Facing Zabuza on my own?
Honestly, Naruto wasn't too confident about that. He wasn't exactly a master of martial arts yet.
Sasuke finally closed the book, somewhat reluctantly. He hadn't realized how engrossed he'd become.
Man, this book is good...
After reading some of the plot, Sasuke felt an immense satisfaction, imagining himself as the protagonist, enacting swift justice and revenge. He even fantasized about that night, standing before Uchiha Itachi, furiously shouting:
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west! Uchiha Itachi, don't you dare look down on the poor and weak!"
Just thinking about it gave him chills, his excitement making him tremble and stifle laughter.
Once everyone was off the boat, Sasuke carefully placed the book back into his bag as if it were a precious treasure, then joined the rest of the group.
Still lost in thought about the book, Sasuke couldn't contain his curiosity any longer and turned to Naruto.
"Naruto…"
"Huh?"
"Did Xiao Yan complete his three-year promise?"
Naruto whipped his head around in disbelief, staring at Sasuke.
Here I am, on full alert, worried Zabuza might ambush us at any moment.
And you come to me asking about a three-year promise?
Seriously?!
"Hell if I know! Get lost!" Naruto snapped, clearly irritated.
Dejected after Naruto's refusal, Sasuke fell back into the group, looking a bit down.
Naruto took one glance at him and sighed.
Great, I can't count on this guy either.
Looks like I'll have to rely on the big fox instead.
"Hey, big fox, can you help me sense any enemies around? You know, like that thing you did in the village?"
Kurama, lounging in his cage, flicked his ears, shifted his massive body, and lazily responded, his voice low and rumbling.
"First fight, and you're already leaning on me?"
"Figure it out yourself."
Since this was Naruto's first real battle, Kurama wanted him to adapt. There was no way he was going to activate his malicious sensing ability for Naruto just yet.
But before fully closing his eyes, the fox muttered to himself.
"The enemy's close by. Find them yourself."
Naruto almost burst out laughing.
Such a tsundere, that big orange fluffball!
With the hint, Naruto immediately went into high alert, scanning the area for any signs of danger.
The fog around them was growing thicker by the second, reducing visibility to just five meters. Soon, they'd be practically blind.
"Everyone, close in!"
"Protect the client!"
Kakashi, ever the seasoned shinobi, quickly sensed something was off. Fog wasn't unusual in the Land of Waves, but the way it enveloped them, along with the eerie silence, triggered memories of the Hidden Mist's bloodthirsty assassins from the battlefield.
That familiar unease crept up on him once more.
Without hesitation, the three genin moved closer to Kakashi, forming a protective formation around Tazuna.
Naruto stood still, his eyes darting left and right. Not only had he failed to spot Zabuza, but he was also starting to feel overly tense himself.
Ugh, not being able to see anything is such a pain...
As he thought that, a spark of inspiration hit him.
If we can't see them…
Why not make it so they can't see us either?
With that thought, Naruto clapped his hands together and opened several space portals around them.
Purple light engulfed the area, obscuring the entire team from view.
Zabuza, who had been poised to strike, paused mid-motion, his massive sword drawn and ready. But now, all he saw was a strange purple glow in front of him, leaving him baffled.
What the hell is that purple stuff?!
As Zabuza tried to make sense of it, Naruto's voice echoed through the fog.
"Hidden Mist ninja, I curse your ancestors!"
Naruto's taunting voice rang out, trying to provoke the enemy. He went on to hurl insult after insult, cursing Zabuza's lineage back three generations.
But despite all that, Zabuza remained hidden, unfazed by the outburst.
Naruto couldn't help but marvel.
Ah, I see. A true shinobi can endure anything, huh?
Jiraiya-sensei, I understand now!
Hiding in the mist, Zabuza scoffed at the boy's childish antics.
Does this brat think he can force me out with petty insults?
I survived the Blood Mist…
My heart is as cold and hard as the blade I wield.
Pathetic.
Just as Zabuza was reaffirming his resolve, Naruto's voice suddenly pierced through the fog again.
"Hidden Mist ninja are all into guys, huh?"
The moment he heard that, an image of Haku's beautiful face flashed through Zabuza's mind.
His eyes widened, veins bulging on his forehead as his breathing grew rapid. The blood surged in his veins, the rage boiling up to his head.
That little brat!
"I'll kill you!!"
Zabuza, enraged, dragged his massive executioner's blade and charged towards the source of Naruto's voice.
But before he could close in, Naruto's mocking tone rang out again, this time with even more provocation.
"Whoa, whoa, did I hit a nerve?"
"Really? Do you actually like guys?"
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