Team 7 continued going down the dirt road as a wide grove was near a tree line. Touched up by the setting sun on the horizon with a rather unkept patch of grass.
"Is it wise to sleep out in the open like this?" Tazuna sipped some liquor before hastily wiping all remnants of the alcohol from his lips. Kakashi merely shrugged in response as he continued reading his book.
Ignoring her sensei, Sakura ran past everyone, forcibly dragging Sasuke behind her. Reaching the center of the woodland grove in front as everybody's tension quickly fled at the sight of such a relaxing zone.
Everybody relaxed within the resting spot as they prepared themselves mentally for what was to come. A long road was ahead for all of them...
Nine hours later.
"AHH!" Sakura shrieked as mist too dense to pierce nearly covered her entire appearance from sight, forcing Naruto into the water. As well as alerting the company they kept; already striving to stay quiet and sail silently.
"So hard to see out here..." Sasuke muttered in disbelief.
"Why do you think we're traveling like this? Cutting off the engine? This isn't a game! It's so they don't see us!" Words were shouted out with intensity. Kakashi quickly went into the water and rescued Naruto from the grasp of the water.
Dripping droplets that shined all beneath a clear sky of blue, the cry of seagulls echoed and rang in every direction possible. Especially once they entered a swallow canal, swamped and swarmed by the shrubs and trees.
Only a a dock of worn lumber and rusty roofs were clear to see for any signs of civiilzation. Sakura looked around puzzled by the appearance of everything.
"This is as far as I go, good luck." No even waiting for a response, their delivery man earned nothing but a wave from Tazuna. Shoving his vessel adrift and free before fading into the mist just a quickly as he appeared.
Ten minutes later.
"Shisui, of course." Naruto explained answers that Sakura kept seeking, like when he learned about Fūinjutsu.
Enamored by these words of power, Sakura flicked her hair to the side with ambition. Strolling through the bushes that his student attack, Kakashi closed his book before crouching down lazily.
"Can you at least act like you're worried? Or is this how all of you big-time Shinobi are?" Tazuna spoke wearily. Unknowingly, Kakashi was well aware of the danger that was quite close.
Shaded and secure beneath a blanket of green that required some key attention, muscles were held by bark. Belonging to one of the most wanted criminals in Kirk history; The Demon of the Mist.
"Zabuza Momochi." With the snap of his orange-backed book, Kakashi said the name that only a ninja would recognize. Listed in every bingo book every issued within the past six months, since his first attempt.
"Wait...Isn't that would be assassin that tried to kill his own leader, the 4th Mizukage?" Sakura spoke immediately. With Naruto adding in "We'll take down anybody who-"
A hurled blade came where words were expected. Shredding everything in its path and nearly slicing up Naruto who dodged immediately.
Shoving students and Tazuna as shinobi sandals stabbed portions of earth still wet from morning mildew. Hands hurried to intercept to take hold of the very bladed behemoth headed and hurrying for him.
Because Kakashi already foresaw what was going to happen, that the shape of Momochi would appear at the latest. And taking a grip of his hilt before swinging and swirling its weighted mass like a spear.
And that's exactly what occurred, Zabuza made himself known with a rather stark appearance over the group. Exposing purple pants with no shirt and only grey shoulder straps to cover him.
The lumbering silhouette of Kubikiribōchō was then revealed, suspended high and heavy with might as its only restraint. Surprisingly stopped by a sole-edge kunai with twin hands upon its own miniature mold.
Indeed, far beyond some average named duo of shinobi so modest that most of the elite could dispatch them with easy. Zabuza was once one of the fabled seven, Seven Shinobi from the Mist.
Only now that title and prestige was far gone and left, kept intact by reputation and his repeated use of Kubikiribōchō alone. "I never imagined I'd get to meet Kakashi of the Sharingan." Sasuke's attention was immediately grabbed by that title.
"That brat that's with you...Dodging my attack like that...You'll all make good prey." Zabuza said with concentration focused upon them all.
"In the assassination unit of the hidden mist... We have a standing order to kill you." Snarling with a masked mouth. Zabuza already knew to lower his gaze as Kakashi's headband was pressed high.
Having already enacted 'Ninja art: Hidden Mist Jutsu' prior to his quick assault, only his Jonin foe could keep up. Shouting orders directions for each pupil to steady and still themselves in formation around Tazuna so as to protect him from harm.
Fabric then fell prey to metal as Momochi was severed at the waist by a stout slice from a short blade. Dissipating into puddled moisture only to reappear behind the very ninja that struck him down.
Kicking the back that he failed to strike with his weapon, metallic litter halted any attempt to follow through. Stopped in his tracks by a well-placed trickle of caltrops, deployed as his foe floated backwards.
As this battle took place, the Genin of Team 7 were concealed by clouds of white smoke. Rushing into sight, four Naruto's rushed to aid his sensei, reluctantly watched by Sasuke who wanted to try and help but could not.
But one trap was met by another as Kakashi fell victim to a freshly sphered lake, sewn from chakra. And thicker than sludge coated syrup, its mixture was enough to capture and snag its target with ease.
"I expected better from an elite like you!" A fanged smile couldn't be seen due to dark cloth spread over him. Realizations that meant little as 'Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu' was enabled perfectly.
That is; until four flung fists nearly found their mark when Naruto was counted among them, splashing water abound. And startling that whom they planned to ambush; real clones when he expected illusionary jutsu.
Using the eyes of these adjacent clone, the real Naruto was safe as he ducked beneath an impossibly time blow. Capable of seeing such sight only through the unknown yet life-saving aid of his Rinnegan.
"What?!" Zabuza stuttered, startled by a fierce hug from Naruto's clone, and dozens of explosive tags that swarmed him. Detonating in a mixture of explosive energy as Naruto's clone gave his own life.
Revealed by the dissipating smoke, a burnt, bloodied and scarred Zabuza was exposed. With the singed fabric of his mask, seared portions of his face were lined with shark-like teeth.
Cursing at his own failure, Zabuza stared intensively at Naruto. Still clinging tight with one grip upon the stretched and frigid handle of his famed Kubikiribōchō.
Himself being badly injured, Naruto sought to see if his sensei had been freed from the technique, only to gasp with utter shock. Noticing too later that a preestablished clone had already retained hold of him.
"I'll kill your sensei right before your eyes." The real Zabuza crackled as, with the snap of twin fingers, his seared clone dispersed. As an illuminated shadow in its same spot as Sasuke breathed "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
The display that was being provided wasn't enough; swatted aside with the ease of a singular back hand and followed up by a fierce grasp. Taking hold of the last loyal Uchiha by his throat before shoving him under water.
Even Sakura found herself in disarray and dismantled in a collection of seconds when, after trying to catch up, she fell prey to a trip wire. Winding up hung and dangling wildly with repeat screams asking if her friends were okay.
Only then did the bloodied image of Iruka repeat itself as a fresh painting upon Naruto's scarred mind. Resonating with the rising tide and offbeat rhythm of his beating heart amid a startling flash of amethyst.
Mindlessly biting his own palm, Naruto shoved this bloody flesh against the water below. Shrieking "GEDO MAZO!" Thoughts went blank with rage and pain as a gigantic hand ruptured the aquatic surface.
Sickly and skeletal, this palm wrapped around the perpetrator of its hosts enraged direction and squeezed. Roared with such pressure that the once shallow lake was turned into a bottomless ocean from which nobody could find themselves out of.
"What is this?!" Zabuza panicked as despite his decades of trained and lived experience, he knew not his foe. The unspoken son of someone once feared by all, but now strangely forgotten by many.
Doijutsu?! Was the single sentence Sasuke processed as his own recollection was regained while rising from water. Breathing deep as Kakashi and Sakura also sought sighs of relief and rest.
Everything suddenly ended, the existence of the summoned fiend beneath them, Naruto's conscious reality. Even Zabuza's will to remain standing, suffering such crushed mass that thirty bones were broken in an instant.
But when those that caught hold of such a sight did not know how to proceed, a masked figure with a porcelain plate for Kiri strode out. One of just a dozen that had spent so many recent weeks tracking the very rogue ninja now defeated in front of them all.
He must be barely older than Sakura... And yet, he's an elite assassin already. Kakashi stranded to catch his composure. Pulling his ever-present headband down before flickering next to his student.
Caught in his most final of seconds before faceplanting the earth, whiskers were the source of interest for their stranger. Something they verbally shrugged off before offering a gesture of appreciation for what they had done.
"I'll be collecting his body now... If you don't mind, can't have it falling into the wrong hands and causing even more chaos." Bending forth, slim stature meant little. Picking up Zabuza's nearly pulverized yet muscular form with one fragile arm as if it was nothing.
No one even cared, not when Naruto had done that which none had previously done or expected prior to this meeting. Not when the hour of defeat was so close and saved only by the student that others frequently mocked for a multitude of reasons.
"HEY! WHERE IS EVERYONE!" Tazuna's plea rang across a meadow of wet grass next to soaked lumber in shock at what had just happened. Kakashi merely walked forward with Naruto in his arms as he looked down at Tazuna.
"I think we all need some nice rest right about now." Kakashi huffed out.