22 CHP 22: The Bridge and it's Builder, Mission?... (P-3)

~ Jacob's Pov ~

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'Huh?' What's with the sudden chakra fluctuations? I could easily sense jonin level powerhouses even from multiple kilometers away, as if it were right next to me... This wasn't a good thing...

I got too caught up with the creatures underwater, and absorbed too many of them... Crap, I can still make it there if I go full speed. So, I did.

*Crackle!*

*Fwiish!~*

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I heard the stones underneath my feat crumbling when I accelerated...

With that adjustment, I easily dashed across the trees, likely becoming a blur, and because of this, I had realized something on the way. I hadn't truly understood, or fully tested how fast, strong and durable I was at this point int time...

I had trained diligently, yet never had the occasion to really push myself to such an extent, especially not at this level. Honestly, this level of strength wasn't even needed... It was clear that I had far greater reserves than I had previously believed. That much was certain to me. 

The system panel gave me a somewhat of a rough idea as well, but having to never fully exert myself in this world was, well-annoying...

But, I was far enough from any life that I could take it to the absolute max, but only for a moment.

*Fwoosh!*

I skipped, jumped, summersaulted and even swung across the forestry like it was the first time I had been in the outside, it was the greatest thing to feel this, free.

Even if I felt free... I shouldn't get carried away...

I quickly re-activated my viral sonar, pinning down where Naruto and the others were as well...

'They're close by now... Hmm? Who's this?'

I had seen another signature just a far enough distance away to not be spotted, and given their position, they were likely perching on top of a tree limb. With the chakra that surrounded them, I estimate that they were bordering on jonin levels...

I stopped where I was, I could tell who the figures were based off my memory. One, I could easily pin out was Kakashi, with the other students, as well as another Kakashi was fighting. And whoever it is, was easily on Kakashi's level...

'Staying here should be good enough. The mist won't hinder me much, and no one can track me either...' I quickly jumped atop the highest point I could find, crouching on top of it. I wanted to see how this will all play out...

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~ Omni Pov ~

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Kakashi lifted his covering, slowly revealing his left eye... Zabuza's own eyes narrowed slightly. While Everyone else was taken aback...

'The, Sharingan? Is Kakashi sensei an Uchiha?' Naruto thought. He looked over to where Sasuke was, only to see his teammate just as, if not more shocked compared to how he was. Naruto swore Sasuke looked as if he had seen a ghost.

'H-How!? How does Kakashi have the Sharingan?' Sasuke had thought, he didn't have to verbalize what he was thinking, his face was enough to paint the entire picture.

Even Sakura was obviously shocked as well...

"Hahaha..." They had heard the mist-nin laugh...

"-Ha! I can't believe it... Now that I take a good look... You must be Kakashi the of the Sharingan..." Zabuza scoffed a bit.

Kakashi didn't respond immediately, "So what if I am?" He then answered back, he turned towards his students, "Protect Tazuna, and stick together..." Kakashi turned towards Zabuza.

Zabuza only chuckled, "Time to end all the useless talking... I'll need that old man dead, and it seems like I'll have to go through you to do it..." Kakashi upped his guard even more.

*Fwish!*

'He's, gone!?' Kakashi thought, barely catching a glimpse of the mist nin, however seeing the general direction Momochi went towards, he turned to his left, he spotted him, "He's over by the water!" He shouted.

However, Zabuza was already in position. His left hand was already raised, with his right arm already in preparation in casting a Jutsu, "Nin-pou... Hidden Mist No Jutsu..." As he whispered those words, Zabuza has slowly faded into the ascending mist...

'Shit...' Kakashi pondered for a bit, "Listen closely, Momochi will be after me... And since he's a member of the hidden mist, he's renowned from being an expert in silent assassination techniques, so be on your toes..." Kakashi warned them all.

Everyone nodded, understanding their situation.

While Naruto remained a bit observant of their surroundings, he began, "Be careful... The mist is thicken—" before being abruptly interrupted...

"8 places!" They heard Zabuza's voice echoing from the mist, seemingly from all directions...

"Liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, neck vein, brain, heart, and kidneys... Which one shall I strike first?" Zabuza pondered aloud, his intention clear—to instill fear in them all. And both Naruto and Kakashi had realized his aim.

Kakashi's attention was drawn to what seemed like a distant presence. Swiftly, he formed what seemed like a clone seal, and in an instant, a palpable wave of killing intent washed over the rest of them all...

'Wha-What the? H-His intent to kill is... It feels like I can't even, move!.' Sasuke felt the drawn breaths he took now, compared to only a seconds ago, while Naruto on the other hand, remained somewhat calm, and Sakura a trembling mess...

"Don't worry, I'll protect you all, even if it costs me my life." Kakashi reassured his students.

"We'll see about THAT!" They heard Zabuza's voice in the distance.

*Fwoosh!*

*Gash!*

"Ugh!!" Zabuza materialized before them, however, Kakashi's took action, with his pronged kunai piercing Zabuza's abdomen...

As Zabuza staggered back, Kakashi's eyes narrowed with coldness. Despite the surprise attack, he had still felt Zabuza's daunting aura persisting... Soon after Kakashi had realized something a bit, off...

*Tap...!* 

*Tap...!*

"It's, water?" Kakashi asked himself, sounding confused. He turned around.

"It's a clone! Be careful!!" However as he said this, Naruto spotted Zabuza behind his sensei once more...

"Watch out!" He shouted, But It was clear Kakashi wasn't fast enough, the mist-nin instantly did a wide sweep with his blade, slicing the the copy ninja in half, seemingly killing him, but Kakashi had also slowly dissolved into nothing but water...

Causing Zabuza's eyes to widen instantly, 'Impossible!... He copied me, despite me being in the mist?' As soon as he thought of this, he felt something cold and sharp press against his neck...

"..."

"... That's impressive of you... You managed to copy me, and summon a clone right when you spoke to your genins..." Zabuza then tilted his head to the right...

"You switched right then and there..." Zabuza chuckled lightly to himself, while Kakashi remained silent. His thoughts on something completely different.

"But..." Kakashi heard Zabuza's voice behind himself, "I'm not that easy..." As he heard the words, the clone in front of him turned into nothing but a small puddle of water.

"Behind you!" Naruto shouted.

Kakashi hearing Naruto's voice quickly turned around, while Zabuza was already in swinging position. Being slightly more agile than the latter-nin, Kakashi had ducked just in time, with silvery strands following right behind him. However, Zabuza noticed this, and took advantage of the copy-nin's awkward positioning.

*Boof!!*

*Splash!*

He kicked Kakashi hard, sending him straight towards the small lake to the side. Being an opportunist and seizing this small chance given, Zabuza disappeared from his position, charging towards Kakashi...

As soon as Kakashi hit the water, its unexpected weight had caught him off guard, 'This water, it's heavy?!' Kakashi noticed his predicament being an oddity, but before he could properly register anything, he quickly saw the mist-nin standing over him with a dark expression...

"Fool!" Zabuza smirked. His hands blurred, going through numerous had seals, 'Water Prison No Jutsu!' Zabuza casted, 'Damn!' Kakashi noticed his situation, but he was too late, he felt his body lifting up, while water surrounded his body. He couldn't even move a finger.

"You tried escaping through the water, but that was a big mistake." Zabuza added, now feeling victorious, "Time to take care of your little genins..." Zabuza cackled darkly, his eyes now slowly focusing onto the trio of Konoha nins. Immediately they felt the bloodlust increase...

Naruto only hissed, 'I've gotten stronger, but I'm still not strong enough to fight a jonin...' He thought. He looked towards Sasuke, "Listen, we'll both need to work together to stand a chance against him... I have a plan..." Naruto kept his eyes on Zabuza. While Both Sakura and Sasuke were equally surprised.

This wasn't the Naruto that they were used to, but for some reason, they felt as if they could trust him completely... "Alright... what's the plan?" Sasuke dashed towards Naruto, with them forming their plan...

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"It looks like your little rookies have something planned..." Zabuza mocked. He turned towards them, seeing the blond haired child casting what seemed like the shadow clone Jutsu...

"And what do we have here? Ha! Your little blond genin is about to commit suicide!" Zabuza laughed. He knew of the Jutsu, especially of how draining it was, even with his own chakra reserves being fairly high, he could at most summon 3-4 clones. However, that number reduces monumentally, being absolute zero while anything lower than a jonin.

Zabuza shook his head at the stupidity of what the boy was doing, even then, he wouldn't stop the blond brat from making his job easier. However, when he looked at the brat's face, he could tell that the boy had a look of, confidence.

Zabuza sharpened his gaze for a bit, his instincts telling him to be weary. However, it was already too late...

"Kage No Bunshin No Jutsu!" Naruto muttered, next the entire area filled with numerous amounts of white smoke that almost overcame the mist around them all. Momochi looked shocked, he saw 100's of blonds surrounding him.

'What? How the hell does a genin have more chakra than a jonin!?' That thought ran through his mind. Not only did he see something that was supposed to be impossible, he saw it from a kid that couldn't be over the age of 13!

"You shouldn't have underestimated my little genins." Kakashi spoke, he looked at Zabuza. While the latter could only grit his teeth in frustration. Momochi knew he couldn't keep the barrier up at this rate, there were simply too many clones to deal with...

Before they could charge him, Zabuza canceled the water prison Jutsu, he dashed towards the side with the least amount of clones he would have to deal with. However, Kakashi wasn't having it, as soon as the Jutsu dispelled, he quickly formed the Shunshin seal, catching up with the mist swordsman.

'Shit!' Zabuza cursed, he felt a sudden kick in his ribs, which caused him to skip across the lake before he caught himself. That one did quite the damage. But, he had to do something...

"You forgot about us!" He heard another voice coming from behind him, he turned around to see a windmill shuriken coming right after him flung by a raven haired boy, however he dodged it without much difficulty, 'Foolish child, you should have never given yourself away.' He thought, but he heard a poof sound behind where he heard the shuriken, only to see multiple kunai's come right after him with ludicrous speeds from the blond boy earlier.

"Damnit!!!" Momochi knew he wouldn't be able to dodge them all, he had let his guard down for only a moment, yet they managed to take advantage of that small instance. Despite his frustration, he swiftly swept his sword guarding himself from the kunai's that aimed at his major vital points.

However, three of them had managed to barely miss there marks. He had to wander if the child who threw them was even a genin to begin with... Zabuza fell to the water, weakened from everything so far...

"It's over Zabuza, it's time to die!" Kakashi said, his Sharingan spinning as he said so.

"N... NEVE-"

*Tash!*

*Tash!!*

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"You're right... He's dead..."

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END