Hinata stood back up and nonchalantly brushed the dust off her clothes.
Looks like there's nothing to worry about now. Yeah, in every sense of the word.
Clash
There was no doubt that the figure's appearance instantly put everyone on edge—everyone except Hinata, who even seemed a bit relaxed.
"Oh~ That look... I was wondering who it was. Isn't that the Demon of the Hidden Mist, Momochi Zabuza?"
Raising a hand with deliberate casualness, Kakashi gave a lazy wave. Clearly, this was a calculated show of ease meant to calm his own group. Meanwhile, Zabuza, standing in the trees, turned his head and carefully sized up the person who called his name.
After a brief moment of thought, he nodded slightly. "So it's you—Kakashi of Sharingan, known as the Technician of Konoha. Never thought we'd meet here, under these circumstances. You're actually one of the names I have noted in my personal notebook."
The exchange between the two jonin didn't alleviate the tension. On the contrary, it only made things more intense. Sasuke instinctively stepped in front of Tazuna, clearly aware—at least to some degree—of Zabuza's intentions.
"Honestly, I'd love to test my skills against yours. But I happen to be on a mission right now, so… Kakashi, would you mind handing over that old man?"
Zabuza narrowed his eyes, sweeping his gaze over the members of Team 7 behind Kakashi. He wasn't trying to show weakness—this was clearly a threat.
Judging by reputation alone, Zabuza was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist, and Kakashi was the Sharingan-wielding Technician of Konoha. Their fame was probably on par. If they faced off one-on-one, it'd be hard to say who would come out on top.
But here was the problem—Kakashi had four deadweights with him. That changed things.
According to the usual rules of the shinobi world, the numbers could be simulated like this:
Momochi Zabuza's combat power: Executioner's Blade +100, Title as one of the Seven Swordsmen +50, Jonin-level ranking +100. Total: 250.
Hatake Kakashi's combat power: Three-Tomoe Sharingan +100, Title as Technician of Konoha +50, Jonin-level ranking +100, burden of protecting Tazuna -50, three newly graduated genin -150. Total: 50.
So Zabuza had every reason to be confident. Deadweights decrease combat effectiveness because the fighter has to constantly guard against attacks on these defenseless liabilities. It's like being saddled with weak points that can't defend themselves.
"Excuse me, may I ask, masked uncle, what's your ninja rank?"
Just then, Hinata spoke up from the back in a calm tone. Although she was fully aware of the situation, she still had to play along with these ZZ-level teammates.
"Hm? This brat... Nice eyes. And those eyes—I definitely remember them… You're from the Hyūga clan, aren't you?"
Zabuza's brow twitched slightly. Clearly, for someone who relies on hiding in mist to execute assassinations, the Byakugan—which can see through all obstructions—was a natural counter. And although the girl looked like a fresh graduate, her expression and stance showed no fear at all. Instead, she radiated a strange calm and irritation.
People with that kind of attitude either have the power to back it up, or they're just overconfident idiots.
Regardless, Zabuza had no intention of charging in right away. Kakashi was on par with him, after all, and a peaceful resolution would be better than a bloody fight.
"Be careful, all of you! He's one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. He's no weaker than I am!"
Kakashi cautiously drew a kunai and lowered his stance. He couldn't be sure there weren't other enemies nearby.
"If he's on Kakashi-sensei's level, then he's a jonin. Judging from your behavior, your target is that old man, right?"
Hinata twirled a strand of hair near her ear, her voice icy and detached. "I remember our mission was just a C-rank escort job. At that level, forget jonin—we shouldn't even be seeing chunin opponents, isn't that right?"
"Oh~~ Interesting. So this old guy actually lied about the mission rank when reporting to Konoha? Well then… I suppose this was all just a misunderstanding."
From his perch on the tree, Zabuza relaxed his brows. He clearly picked up on Hinata's underlying message.
"In that case, there's no need for us to fight. Kakashi, hand him over and we'll pretend we never saw each other."
Looking down at Kakashi, Zabuza confidently repeated his offer. "Since the old man lied about the mission, it has nothing to do with you, right?"
"Mm... That's true. But even if we didn't kill those two, doesn't that bother you?"
Letting out a quiet sigh, Kakashi slowly straightened up and dropped his combat stance. Zabuza, in turn, just gave a cold laugh. "If they weren't strong enough and got killed, it just means they were useless. No point ruining things between us over broken tools. So~ leave the old man, and you all can walk away."
The tension in the air surged once again. Tazuna took a fearful step back, clearly realizing the danger he was now in.
"W-Wait! What the hell is this?! Are we seriously going to abandon our mission?!"
Naturally, Naruto shouted in disbelief. His blue eyes were filled with shock, and as Hinata looked at the golden-haired boy, a malicious urge rose in her heart. This guy really is an eyesore!
With a strange smile tugging at her lips, the Byakugan girl stepped forward and suddenly threw her right arm around Naruto's neck. The move was surprisingly intimate, instantly freezing the boy who had been about to yell some more.
"Naruto~ Did you know? You're a nuisance."
Hinata didn't hide her contempt. Her breath, laced with mockery, brushed against his cheek. Despite how close their bodies were, this wasn't friendly at all—it was pure, undisguised ridicule from one side.
"A long time ago, my approach to obstacles was to remove or destroy them. Only by doing that could I move forward. But once, during a walk, I tripped over a tree root. I was so angry I wanted to chop the tree down and burn it to ashes. But…"
She raised her left hand and brushed Naruto's forehead protector. Her voice took on a rare touch of nostalgia. "An elder who saw me stopped me. He told me: instead of removing an obstacle, try turning it into something that can help you. That's better than just eliminating it.
I took his advice, cut down the tree, and made it into a table and chairs. I did get something more useful out of it. So, I changed. When I encounter obstacles now, I try to reshape them to my advantage first. Naruto, aren't you the perfect example? Through our cooperation, we've both gained far more than expected.
So~"
She forced Naruto's head down and locked it in her arm, her tone full of certainty and command.
"This time, you don't need to speak. Just do what I say, like always. After all, you're stupid. All you ever do is put in effort that leads nowhere. So, what's your answer?"
Her voice, loud and clear, echoed in everyone's ears. Their reactions varied. Kakashi didn't show much on his face, but his eyes carried a hint of disappointment and resignation. Sasuke's gaze showed resistance and frustration. He clearly knew that he too was one of Hinata's projects.
Zabuza, on the other hand, let out a cold smirk of appreciation. As a rogue ninja, he admired Hinata's boldness and rationality. The weak should be reshaped and ruled by the strong—that's only natural, right?
Naruto, with his head trapped under Hinata's arm, clenched his fists silently. This was undoubtedly the second time he'd been this close to her, and the first time... he'd yielded.
"Hah... Hinata, I know I'm not as smart as you, but…"
Slowly releasing his hands, Naruto's attitude made Hinata sneer and relax her grip. Her tone was filled with anticipation. "So what?"
"I... can't accept that!"
He jerked his head up, his voice ringing with unshakable resolve. "I don't know anything about mission ranks or enemy identities. All I know is—I'm a ninja of the Hidden Leaf! I accepted this mission! If I abandon the client just because the enemy is stronger than expected—I can't do that!"
Like a proclamation, the blond boy shouted his conviction. With a growl, he crouched and charged toward Zabuza up in the tree, his voice filled with unrestrained battle spirit. "Hey, you bandaged mask guy! I don't care if you're one of the Seven Swordsmen! If you've got time, go ahead and write my name in your little notebook too! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! The man who's gonna be Hokage!"
The unexpected turn of events made Zabuza frown deeply. Clearly, what he'd hoped would be resolved peacefully had now spiraled into chaos—all because of this loudmouthed blond brat!!
"You little punk!! You've got a death wish!!"
Furious, Zabuza pulled out the massive Executioner's Blade from his back. He was confident he could take this brat out with a single swing—but just then, several streaks of lightning-fast kunai flew at him from the side, accompanied by a calm shout: "Take this—Starflower Claw Storm!"
"Hmph! Throwing knives? You're underestimating—hm?!"
He instinctively swung his sword horizontally, knocking the projectiles away. Just as he was about to mock the attack, a sudden numbness crept up his arm. Startled, he caught sight of the kunai crackling with lightning chakra—they weren't ordinary weapons at all!
"Masked freak! Eat my Sonic Blade: Chop!"
By now, Naruto had reached the base of the tree. With a sharp inhale, he crossed his arms, and a spinning pale blue wave shot forward like a gear, howling straight up at Zabuza!