He has even mastered Haki, and you say this is Naruto?

The second plan?

Kado's heart sank. Taunting a high-ranking ninja? I don't have the guts for that…

But he also didn't dare disobey Zabuza's orders.

In the next moment, Kado steeled himself.

"Kakashi, son of the White Fang of Konoha, you're just a—"

Kado was about to say "you're just a worthless piece of trash"… but then, he locked eyes with Kakashi.

What he saw was a bottomless, bone-chilling coldness—Kakashi wasn't even looking at him like a human being. It was as if he were already a corpse.

At that instant, Kado's instincts screamed death.He would die—absolutely would die—if he dared to insult him.

A chill rushed straight to his brain, and with goosebumps all over, Kado instantly changed his tone. His words turned from mockery to flattery.

"A genius like you must've inherited your father's superb swordsmanship. As expected of a Konoha jōnin!"

He let out a long sigh of relief after saying that. Good, I changed gears in time… or I might've been a dead man.

On Kakashi's side, his fist had clenched tightly.

No matter how calm and composed Kakashi usually was, for a moment just now, he almost couldn't hold himself back.

Kado's words echoed in his mind:

"You must've inherited your father's superb swordsmanship."

"Inherited your father's swordsmanship…"

That was mockery—blatant mockery. And the fact that it was said with such sycophantic flattery made it sting even more.

But Kado didn't realize this. If I can't provoke the strong ones… I'll find an easier target.

He turned to the cool-looking kid nearby. Yeah, that smug-looking brat.

"You, brat—what are you looking at? I'm talking to you! You Uchiha people are all—"

But right at that moment, he locked eyes with Sasuke's cold gaze.

Sasuke wasn't thinking much—he remembered Kakashi's earlier advice: Don't let your emotions be affected by provocation.

But to Kado, that gaze screamed danger. Add to that the fact the Uchiha were once Konoha's top clan…

Nope, can't afford to mess with this one either!

His instincts took over again, and he flipped the script once more.

"You Uchihas are all geniuses! Especially Itachi who joined the revolution—I admire him greatly!"

Yes—praise the Uchihas, and it'll be fine. Let's find someone weaker to target.

However, Sasuke, who had been mentally prepared for taunts, completely broke when he heard that name:

"Admire… Itachi…"

All his rationality was blown away.

"DIE!!"

Sasuke lunged at Kado. Before he even got close, a kunai had already pierced Kado's thigh, sending blood spurting out.

Kakashi followed instantly—now that they'd started fighting, there was no need to hold back.

Kado hadn't even processed what was happening yet. Wait… I was complimenting them… Why do they both want to kill me now?!

"Hel—!"

Before he could even call for help, Sasuke was already in front of him, Sharingan glowing with murderous intent.

The kunai in Sasuke's hand showed no mercy as it slashed forward.

BANG!

Suddenly, Kado was blasted away. A pair of slender hands covered in frost had blocked Sasuke's attack just in time.

Frost scattered into the wind, falling like snowflakes on Haku's flowing hair.

Above them, Zabuza and Kakashi's weapons clashed.

The battle had begun.

CLANG!!

Kakashi's kunai collided with Zabuza's massive Executioner's Blade—and in the next instant, Kakashi was blasted backward.

There was no resistance. The overwhelming force sent him flying.

But at that moment, a burning explosive tag fluttered off Kakashi's body.

BOOM!!

The explosion cut off Zabuza's pursuit path. Kakashi's reaction had become pure instinct—his movements honed over years of battle.

Even after years of inactivity, Kakashi was still an elite jōnin. His raw talent allowed him to remain well above most ninja despite no longer pushing himself.

But Zabuza wasn't "most ninja."

While airborne, Kakashi was shocked. He hadn't expected Zabuza's strength to be this overwhelming.

"No… this isn't just raw power. It's swordsmanship."

He had fought guys like Guy before. Zabuza's attack wasn't just brute force—it was technique.

"Slash!"

Several cold flashes followed. Kakashi was prepared.

"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"

A wall of earth erupted from the ground, blocking Zabuza's follow-up attack.

Even within just one exchange, Kakashi had been pushed to the back foot.

Once they landed again, Kakashi's hand instinctively moved to his left eye's eyepatch.

The bridge was already in chaos.

Naruto's shadow clones were clashing with the No-Blade pirates. Sakura and Orochimaru's two subordinates had joined the fight too.

Sasuke had been stopped by Haku.

Just a glance told Kakashi everything—their side's chances were slim.

But why had this erupted into a full-blown fight so suddenly?

"You're weaker than I thought. So this is the 'Copy Ninja'? Disappointing."

Zabuza spoke coldly as he held his blade—but his tone, while mocking, held no trace of carelessness.

He never underestimated anyone in a real fight.

"I didn't expect someone as strong as you to be working for scum like Kado."

Kakashi responded in a frigid tone.

"Hahaha—Kado? We're not working for him. But we took his money, so we protect him."

"Besides, one more thing, Kakashi—we're pirates, not ninja."

Zabuza stepped forward and slashed with his blade. From foot, to waist, to arm—his whole body flowed into the attack.

To a real swordsman, the blade is part of their body.

"No-Blade Style: Hidden Blade!"

Buzz!!

Even the heavy Executioner's Blade vibrated. An invisible blade of wind cut through the air.

Kakashi saw it a split second before it hit—

Rip—

His vest was shredded as the invisible edge pierced straight through him.

"Damn… I…"

Kakashi's left hand dropped… his left eye's eyepatch lifted…

But before the Sharingan was fully revealed—POOF!His body turned into white smoke.

A shadow clone.

At the same time, Kakashi appeared behind Zabuza.

"An attack is a moment where defense is abandoned—every strike is an opportunity for the enemy."

When Kakashi used Earth-Style Wall, he'd already swapped out with a clone using Transformation Jutsu. The crumbling earth concealed his movement.

But the real trap wasn't the clone—it was that left-hand movement toward the Sharingan.That fake-out made the enemy go on full alert, mistaking the clone for the real threat.

"Jiraiya taught me that trick a long time ago."

Zabuza growled, still facing away. As if I'd fall for the same move twice.Even that last strike was held back.

"Then let me return the favor. Your attack is my opportunity too."

Zabuza spun and struck with his left palm.

Both men launched their attacks simultaneously. Zabuza gave Kakashi the opportunity—because it was also his chance.

The question was: could Kakashi take his hit?

CLANG!

Kakashi's kunai stabbed into Zabuza's right arm—but it felt like hitting iron. The blade didn't pierce any deeper.

BOOM!

Zabuza's left hand slammed Kakashi and sent him flying off the bridge like a kite with a snapped string.

"Gahahaha!!"

A startled crow near the bridge flapped away in a frenzy, leaving behind a few black feathers.

The next moment, Zabuza leapt down after him, the crow's feathers swirling through the air.

One crow turned its head slightly—its eyes faintly revealing the pattern of a Sharingan.

"You met Lord Jiraiya, didn't you?"

Zabuza crashed into Kakashi again, and the two stood atop the sea's surface.

"He came asking about Shanks… but Shanks's identity is too sensitive. I doubt the Konoha higher-ups have the face to deal with him."

Zabuza said calmly.

Even though Jiraiya hadn't stayed in the village, he was still part of Konoha—and carried guilt about the Uzumaki clan.

Or rather… he didn't know how to face someone like Shanks, the man who bore the weight of the entire Uzumaki clan.

"But I didn't expect there'd still be people named Uzumaki in Konoha today.What, you guys really think that brat deserves the name?"

Zabuza's eyes locked onto Kakashi's left eye.

But it didn't last long—blood from Zabuza's shoulder wound hit the sea. In that moment, he snapped out of it.

Genjutsu!

"Chidori!!"

Lightning burst from Kakashi's right hand.

This time, Kakashi moved faster.

By the time Zabuza realized it, Kakashi was already upon him.

Take the hit with his body? Even Zabuza, confident as he was, knew that wasn't an option. If this landed, he was done.

Chidori's killing pressure far exceeded that of Kakuzu's "False Darkness" lightning jutsu.

"No-Blade Style: Air Palm!"