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

Zabuza's strength had indeed improved rapidly — but in the next moment...

Clang!

The Water Prison Technique failed to trap the opponent. A kunai had appeared in Jiraiya's hand.

The two only clashed for a brief instant before leaping apart.

Jiraiya stood on the water's surface, grinning.

"Hahaha, to think you saw through me. Guess I haven't gone undercover in too long — I'm getting rusty."

"This is where it ends. What lies ahead is not a place you should tread," Zabuza said coldly. From that brief exchange, he could tell — the man before him was strong.

"Oh? If you want to stop me, a kunai alone won't cut it. If you don't draw your Executioner's Blade, you won't stand a chance."

Jiraiya still wore a relaxed, casual expression.

This was the confidence of one of the Legendary Sannin. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist? Unless all seven showed up together, a single member wasn't enough to concern him.

"Just what I wanted."

Zabuza didn't hesitate. He reached behind and pulled out his weapon...

Or rather, the hilt of it.

Yes — only the hilt remained. Ever since the blade broke, it hadn't been repaired.

"One of the Seven Swords — the Executioner's Blade. It's said that as long as it drinks blood, it stays sharp. Even if the blade breaks, it can regrow by feeding on an enemy's blood."

Jiraiya's words held an implication — Zabuza hadn't killed anyone recently, not even animals.

"I don't yet know what path I'll walk... but I know the path I took as one of the Seven Swordsmen was wrong."

"To be an executioner doesn't bring hope to the village."

Zabuza spoke calmly. He hadn't found his future path, but he no longer wandered aimlessly. Killing? That was meaningless to him now.

He was sick of being an executioner.

How could someone who brings hope to a village also be someone who kills?

"That's what you want to protect?" Jiraiya asked, a bit surprised.

But words alone wouldn't stop him.

Jiraiya moved. His crouched form darted toward Zabuza, and the kunai in his hand thrust toward Zabuza's arm.

"Protect? No — I simply owe that man a debt. He doesn't need me to protect him. If anything, I'd only shackle his free will."

Clang!

Zabuza parried the attack with the kunai in his left hand.

In the next instant, the air above the water exploded.

Jiraiya's figure skidded across the water surface, knocked back.

Behind him, his hair had curled forward like needles, gleaming coldly.

Blood soaked Zabuza's chest.

But the wound wasn't from Jiraiya — it was Jiraiya who now bore a slash on his arm. His spiked hair hadn't fully blocked Zabuza's attack.

"A swordsman's blade is his most trusted companion. And likewise, the blade trusts its wielder."

"As long as I live, the Executioner's Blade in my hand will never break."

Zabuza's body trembled. In that critical moment, he had reforged his broken blade using his own blood.

"Assassination Art — Silent Killing!"

His eyes turned blood-red. The blade swung again — this time, with complete focus. All he saw now was Jiraiya — one thought in his mind:

Cut him down!

"Slash!"

The forest, once silent, was shattered by his roar. The gleaming blade tore through the air with a piercing screech, flying straight at Jiraiya.

"Ninjutsu: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. He'd never seen a slashing technique like this before — he had to take it seriously.

His hair stretched out like iron, whipping toward the oncoming slash.

Boom!!

The air vibrated again, water splashed everywhere.

Jiraiya's expression turned serious — he had underestimated both Zabuza's strength and his resolve.

This man was far above a typical elite jonin.

With his vast battle experience, Jiraiya could already tell: Zabuza's power was real.

"Such raw strength... and nearly no chakra fluctuations. Is this also taijutsu?"

Jiraiya vanished on the spot.

He'd encountered many taijutsu users — but few could attack from range using raw physical power alone.

Again, the sound of air being torn.

Zabuza appeared behind Jiraiya.

"Ninjutsu: Swamp of the Underworld!"

In an instant, the ground beneath Zabuza turned into a swamp, interrupting his attack.

Meanwhile, a water clone on the other side finished weaving hand signs.

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"

The nearby river surged, forming a massive waterfall crashing toward Jiraiya.

Jiraiya canceled his Rasengan at the last second.

Poof!

With a puff of white smoke, a wooden substitute was all that remained.

Zabuza, standing atop the water, had escaped the swamp thanks to his own technique. The swamp was now covered with water.

"Toad Flat Shadow Manipulation Technique."

Jiraiya's voice came from behind.

Zabuza didn't have time to react.

As he raised his sword hand, it froze mid-motion — his body locked in place.

"When?!"

"When I switched places with the wood substitute."

Jiraiya stood behind Zabuza, speaking calmly.

He had hidden the log during the "Swamp of the Underworld" — a massive terrain-altering jutsu. Under such conditions, it was impossible to spot a substitution.

That small mistake cost Zabuza the fight.

"You were too hasty. Your injuries forced you to try to end things quickly."

Jiraiya smiled.

"Hahaha... But hey, no shame in losing to me, the great Toad Sage, Jiraiya!"

"You're... Jiraiya? One of the Legendary Sannin?" Zabuza gasped.

That explained everything.

Losing to Jiraiya wasn't shameful — winning would've been shocking. To hold out for this long was already impressive.

"Cough!!"

His injuries finally caught up to him. He spat out blood.

The Executioner's Blade in his hand shattered again.

It had been reforged only by his blood and chakra — and now both were depleted.

As Zabuza's vision faded, a hand pressed to his chest. Chakra surged from Jiraiya's fingertips, sealing his chakra points.

"Stay here. I'll go check things out."

Jiraiya laid him down and walked toward Shanks' training area.

"That way... that's where Shanks is training. He's from the Uzumaki clan — are you sure you want to go there?"

Zabuza's voice was faint, but enough to stop Jiraiya in his tracks.

The Uzumaki Clan.

They were once allies of Konoha — but clearly, Konoha had failed that alliance. The Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, and Konoha bore some responsibility.

Jiraiya hesitated.

"Shanks? An Uzumaki?"

"No way. Even if he's Uzumaki, it's impossible for him to sense this kind of natural energy..."

Jiraiya shook his head.

"Maybe for a normal person. But Shanks is different. What if he's using all that immense Uzumaki chakra for sensing?"

"No one else has that kind of chakra. Only an Uzumaki could."

Zabuza smiled.

For some reason, Jiraiya's disbelief made him feel a strange pride.

That was Shanks. A strange man — but the strongest genius Zabuza had ever seen.

He hadn't realized it yet, but over their time together, he'd come to see Shanks as a comrade — the kind he'd never had before.

And he had become "strange" too.

"Shanks hasn't been involved in the shinobi world for a long time. He doesn't even know the Fourth Hokage, Minato, died. Or that the Princess of the Uzumaki died ten years ago."

Of course, Konoha had hidden the Nine-Tails incident, but as a former Mist Village elite, Zabuza had access to secret intel.

He closed his eyes.

If it were Jiraiya of Konoha — he wouldn't harm Shanks. But still, Zabuza didn't think the two should meet.

"At least not now."