Chapter 21: One-Sided Fight
Shhhhhh...
Today's weather in the Land of Waves is thick and foggy.
After bidding farewell to the boatman, Sato accompanied Tazuna along a snowy path in the forest.
Suddenly, a soft but piercing sound caught Sato's attention. It resembled the sound of kunai and shuriken, but much quieter.
Turning towards the source, Sato saw a multitude of roots, resembling tendrils, shooting towards him and Tazuna with precise aim, even without activating his Sharingan.
These roots targeted various vital points on the human body.
"Water Style: Heavenly Weeping!"
Sato quickly formed a hand seal and spat out a water needle similar to Senbon, intercepting all of the incoming projectiles.
"Oh? Using the same one-handed seal as Haku, I see."
Intriguing voices reached his ears.
Emerging from the thick fog, a figure wielding a massive blade came into view.
And where the roots had been aimed, a small figure wearing an ANBU mask appeared atop a tall tree.
These two figures were none other than Zabuza and Haku.
Upon realizing that the person accompanying Tazuna was just a child, around the same age as Haku, Zabuza assigned Haku the task of dealing with Tazuna.
However, witnessing Sato's skilled execution of the one-handed seal reignited Zabuza's interest in this young enigma, leading to the current situation.
As Sato reached for a handful of kunai from his ninja pouch, Zabuza wore a mischievous expression, akin to a cat playing with its prey, and asked, "Little ghost, have you already dispatched the ghost brother?"
"If you're referring to those two Mist Ninjas, then yes, I eliminated them," Sato replied.
He looked at Zabuza with a defiant smile. "I never expected to encounter such a significant catch as yourself during this private escort. No more idle talk."
His eyes no longer emanating a menacing glare, he spoke with a deep voice, "Boy, who are you?"
Recognizing Sato, his face no longer displaying fear but brimming with combativeness and excitement, Zabuza couldn't help but feel a touch of unease.
However, in the next moment, his anger dissipated.
How could he fear a brat several years younger than Haku just because of a single sentence?
Therefore, he no longer exuded anger, and before Sato could respond, Zabuza released his murderous aura towards him.
As one of the victims of the Bloody Mist and a survivor, the power of someone who wouldn't get slashed again might seem ordinary among Elite Jōnin.
However, his murderous aura was undoubtedly one of the most potent among Elite Jōnin.
Almost instantly after releasing his murderous aura, a bone-chilling coldness enveloped Sato, permeating his body from the outside in, causing goosebumps to rise involuntarily.
Sato, experiencing the aura of a formidable individual for the first time, trembled slightly.
But his trembling was not out of fear; it was a tremor of excitement.
"What an enticing scent," Sato remarked, gazing at Zabuza with fiery eyes. His red irises suddenly transformed into scarlet Sharingan with three tomoe.
"Sharingan! You are the orphan of Konoha's Uchiha clan!?" Zabuza exclaimed, taken aback, as he mistook Sato for Uchiha Sasuke.
After the Uchiha clan's demise, Sharingan became one of the rarest bloodline abilities in the ninja world.
In the world's perception, there were only three individuals known to possess Sharingan.
One was Uchiha Itachi, the S-class rogue who slaughtered the Uchiha clan.
Another was Hatake Kakashi, the famed "Copy Ninja," who possessed a single Sharingan.
The last was the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan's annihilation, an Uchiha orphan who had awakened Sharingan, though it was unknown if any Uchiha orphans possessed the ability.
Considering Sato's age didn't align with Uchiha Itachi or Hatake Kakashi, it was logical for Zabuza to assume he was an Uchiha clan orphan.
"Body Flicker Technique!"
Without responding to Zabuza's words, Sato swiftly formed hand seals.
Two perfect replicas of Sato materialized on his left and right sides, mirroring the movements of the original and charging toward Zabuza and Haku respectively.
"Damn kid, don't be so cocky!"
Witnessing Sato employing the Clone Technique to confuse his sight, Zabuza swung his blade in anger.
The executioner's sword pierced through the two approaching Satos, yet it felt intangible.
Strangely enough, despite being mere clones created by the Clone Technique, the two 'Satos' didn't vanish like typical illusions.
This peculiar Clone Technique left Zabuza feeling uneasy once again.
Approaching with caution, he chose to dodge instantly.
Kachachacha...
However, as Zabuza teleported to create distance, a series of cracking sounds filled his ears.
"Haku... you traitor, what are you doing!?"
Haku, for some reason, didn't resist and allowed Sato to break his limbs.
Even with the sound of bones shattering, Haku didn't utter a scream.
If Haku's mask were removed, one would see that Haku's expression had already become lifeless, and their consciousness had been drawn into the illusion space of the Sharingan.
Even though Haku was a genius who had mastered the one-handed seal of Water Style, but they couldn't break free from Sato's illusion. This time, Sato's illusion was a powerful combination of Sharingan illusion, and Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique
Unless Haku's spiritual energy or Yin Release chakra was stronger than Sato's, no amount of struggle would allow them to escape the illusion space. To prevent any mishaps and ensure Haku's safety, Sato decided to break their limbs.
With his palm transformed into a "Devouring Hand," Sato grabbed Haku's neck and pulled them into the refining space of the mysterious beads. As Sato began to consume Haku, the Phantom Body Flicker Technique was automatically released, causing the two clones of Sato to disappear.
"What do you intend to do with Haku, you jerk!?" Zabuza exclaimed, witnessing Haku being absorbed by the Devouring Hand, their body contorted in a distorted shape.
Rather than engaging in further combat, Zabuza felt a mental thread snap, losing his sanity, and he let out a roar. In his deranged state, the Elite Jōnin skilled in assassination techniques brandished his beheading sword and charged at Sato, aiming to cut off the Devouring Hand, hoping that Haku would reappear unharmed.
Little did Zabuza know, he had severely underestimated Sato's devouring speed. If the devouring hadn't been quick enough, Sato, being extremely cautious, would never have devoured Haku in front of Zabuza. Devouring Haku without killing them was part of Sato's plan to unsettle and weaken Zabuza.
As Zabuza swung his sword down, he did manage to sever Sato's arm. However, cutting through the arm didn't feel like cutting through solid flesh, similar to the sensation of cutting a phantom Shadow Clone.
Behind him, a pair of scarlet Sharingan eyes with three tomoe suddenly manifested. Zabuza realized he couldn't move his body, immobilized by Sato's technique.
Just as Zabuza started to comprehend that he had fallen under the influence of the demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique, intending to disrupt the chakra flow and break free from the illusion, he heard the sound of bones breaking in his limbs.
In front of his eyes, the world shattered into countless cracks, like fragments of glass. Zabuza found himself kneeling on the ground within this fragmented world. Surrounding him were four Sato figures, who joined hands and broke Zabuza's limbs.
"I'm curious," Sato remarked, observing Zabuza with a kind smile that covered the intense pain. "How could you stare at Three Tomoe Sharingan for so long?"
"That... that was just an illusion?" Zabuza, subdued by the Shadow Clone, rolled his eyes, attempting to locate Shiro's figure but finding no trace of them.
For a moment, Zabuza couldn't discern whether the scene of Haku being swallowed by Sato was real or an illusion. With his mind in complete disarray, he could only stare blankly at Sato.
Sato, having already twisted Zabuza's limbs to ensure his inability to escape, explained without hesitation, "It was an illusion combined with the Body Flicker Technique. The scene you witnessed was real, but your speed wasn't as fast as mine."
Indeed, the scene of Sato devouring Haku was real. If Zabuza hadn't lost his sanity and fallen into Sato's illusion, he would have seen an illusion of himself cutting off Sato's arm, while Sato himself was merely a phantom image, dodging Zabuza's sword with a Body Flicker Technique more refined than his own.
Regrettably, Zabuza had lost his composure, leaving him bewildered and doubting the reality before him. This combination of illusion and the Body Flicker Technique was reminiscent of Uchiha Shisui's fighting style.
In a one-on-one battle, unless one possessed the strength to overpower Uchiha Shisui, they would be destined to be toyed with. This was also the reason why Sato, despite not yet being an Elite Jōnin, dared to confront Zabuza and Haku, two formidable opponents.
In a one-on-one situation, the Sharingan was nearly invincible, not to mention Sato's Phantom Body Flicker Technique, comparable to the Flying Thunder God Technique and Kamui. Challenging such skilled Elite Jōnin and Chunin like Zabuza and Haku was not an easy feat.
Having dispelled Zabuza's confusion, Sato once again employed the Devouring Hand, grabbing Zabuza's neck and initiating the consumption. Devouring a living and intact individual was more troublesome as Sato needed to subdue them without causing fatal harm. This was essential to maximize the effectiveness of the engulfment.
Every time Sato contemplated this, he felt grateful that he had obtained the corpse of Uchiha Shisui, gaining access to his Bloodline Limit and the talents of illusion and the Body Flicker Technique. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to devour and manipulate Zabuza and Haku so effortlessly.
Controlling the force without killing the enemy, especially an opponent of the same caliber, proved to be extremely challenging. However, illusions were a different matter. A powerful illusion was as unsolvable as a sealing technique, making it a perfect complement to complete devouring.
Compared to elemental ninjutsu, Sato actually desired more mastery over sealing techniques. Combining illusions with sealing techniques meant that anyone touched by Sato would be utterly at his mercy.