---
Kakashi was stunned as he listened to the sound that could only be made by steel clashing against steel.
"Is this the Taijutsu that Guy mentioned... the one Ye Dou developed himself?"
Even the most penetrating water-based senbon couldn't pierce it — this was just too insane! As Ye Dou was blasted midair by the barrage of Water Senbon, Kakashi finally snapped out of his shock.
Before he could step forward to ask, Ye Dou landed on the ground with a light movement. Apart from the tattered remains of his clothes, he was completely unharmed, not even a scratch on his body.
"That's Haku's jutsu..."
Kakashi recognized it instantly — the one used by the beautiful boy in the mask. It hadn't appeared much in the manga either, mostly shown in adaptations and games — a technique that materialized water into tangible, sharp senbon with piercing force.
If it were anyone else, they would have been skewered like a pincushion. Only Ye Dou, who had hardened his body like steel using his unique "Iron Body" technique, could resist it without injury.
[You wait for me.]
"Did they get away?"
When the mist and dust settled, Sasuke Uchiha walked over and asked coldly.
"Yeah," Kakashi nodded, still keeping his guard up. "But don't let your guard down. This mission is far more dangerous than I expected."
As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at Dazna.
"Why are you looking at me like that?!"
The old bridge builder hurriedly turned away and covered his ears, pretending not to hear.
But Kakashi's concerns were valid. Now that they had accepted the mission, abandoning it would only bring shame to Konoha's reputation.
He turned back toward Ye Dou, noticing the boy's battered appearance. "Ye Dou, your clothes..."
"I'll make them pay for this."
Touching the shredded remains of his yukata, Ye Dou's eyes flashed dangerously.
Although his "Iron Body" technique had shielded him from Haku's water senbon, his clothing hadn't been so lucky — it had been completely shredded. For the first time, Kakashi saw Ye Dou truly angry, and ironically, it was because of a piece of clothing.
"A ninja's mission is not something to be taken lightly. They'll come back. Everyone, get some rest while we can."
Pulling down his forehead protector to cover his left Sharingan eye, Kakashi urged everyone to move quickly.
His mood was grim. The Sharingan, powerful as it was, drained a non-Uchiha user heavily.
Sasuke took a deep look at Kakashi's covered eye, snorted softly, and turned away.
He was still frustrated that a non-Uchiha held the Sharingan, but since it was entrusted to Kakashi by a respected Uchiha senior, he had no grounds to object.
The group moved swiftly and, without further incidents, managed to reach Dazna's house before dark.
---
Dazna's house was large and well-constructed, with two stories. Even with four extra people, there were enough rooms for everyone to have their own space.
Clearly, Dazna's family had once been quite wealthy — but now, only he, his daughter Tsunami, and his grandson Inari remained.
Kakashi learned that Dazna once had an adopted son named Kaiza, a hero of the Land of Waves.
Kaiza had tried to resist Gato's tyranny but was framed as a "terrorist" and executed publicly as a warning to others.
"The rooms are ready. You can all rest first — I'll call you for dinner," Tsunami said warmly.
Unlike Dazna, his daughter welcomed the ninja with genuine kindness.
In contrast, her son Inari glared gloomily and muttered curses like "you'll all die too," making it clear he was a boy carrying a heavy burden of grief.
Ye Dou didn't pay him much mind.
He simply asked Tsunami if she could help mend his clothes, but when she apologized, saying she couldn't, he went straight to his room.
There were no words spoken that night.
---
The next morning, Ye Dou woke to find Dazna and the others already gone — likely back to the bridge construction site.
This bridge project was enormous, intended to connect the Land of Waves to the outside world. It spanned almost three kilometers — no mere footbridge.
Ye Dou found it curious.
When he crossed the Nami no Kuni Bridge yesterday, it was nearly completed.
Given the scale, it shouldn't have been possible to finish in secret without Gato noticing.
Either they had hidden the work extremely well, or something else was at play.
At that time, Kakashi summoned Team 7 and Ye Dou into a nearby forest.
He wanted to use this opportunity to train them properly — with enemies like Zabuza already involved, it was crucial to get stronger quickly to survive.
---
"What's the point of tree climbing?!"
Uzumaki Naruto protested loudly.
He had been excited when he first heard about training, but his enthusiasm disappeared once he heard the details.
He would have preferred sparring with a giant sword, like Ye Dou chasing Zabuza across the battlefield!
"Of course it's not ordinary tree climbing. Ye Dou, show them,"
Kakashi said, half-smiling.
Ye Dou didn't waste words.
Walking up to a tree, he calmly placed one foot on the trunk — and then another, walking straight up the tree as if gravity didn't exist.
He didn't even use his hands for balance.
"Whoa! Awesome! How'd he do that?!"
Naruto shouted, his eyes shining with excitement.
"This is what you'll be practicing next," Kakashi explained.
---
Tree climbing training sounded simple but was deceptively difficult.
The principle was straightforward: by focusing chakra to the soles of their feet, they could stick to surfaces and walk up them.
The challenge was in controlling the amount of chakra precisely — too little, and you would fall; too much, and you would blast the bark apart.
---
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