Konoha: Comparison of Naruto

Chapter 28: Zabuza is numb

_____

[After the oolong incident.]

[Iruka divided the newly graduated ninjas into their respective teams.]

[Asuma's Team 10 became the next generation of the renowned Ino–Shika–Chō formation, a team specializing in secret arts.]

[Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, and Yamanaka Ino.]

[Yuhi Kurenai's Team 8 was designated as a reconnaissance-focused team.]

[Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino.]

[Team 7, led by Elite Jōnin Hatake Kakashi, was composed of three unique individuals.]

[Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura.

Root Organization.

Danzo narrowed his small eyes in disdain.

When it came to team divisions, no one understood the subtleties better than he did.

"Hmph!"

A faint snort escaped him, followed by a moment of silence.

After a few seconds, Danzo spoke with a sneer. "As expected, Hiruzen's methods are as calculated as ever."

He glanced at the assignments with a critical eye.

Nara Shikaku, the captain of Konoha Village's Jōnin, had his son placed under Hiruzen's own son, Asuma.

The formation of Ino–Shika–Chō involved the most prominent families specializing in secret arts—a tradition firmly rooted in Konoha's history.

On the other hand, Kurenai Yuhi, who had only recently been promoted to Jōnin, was given a team consisting of members from three major clans.

Hyūga Hinata, the Inuzuka heir, and the only son of the Aburame patriarch.

Even with Hinata being considered the "abandoned" heir of Hiashi, her inclusion in the team showed how strategic this selection was.

The Hyūga clan, as revered as the Uchiha, held pride in their traditions and rarely sent their true heirs to ninja school.

"Is there truly no other Jōnin in Konoha capable of leading Ino–Shika–Chō aside from your son, Hiruzen?"

"And Kurenai—she hasn't been a Jōnin for long. Pairing her with Asuma... your intentions couldn't be more obvious."

Danzo shook his head in mock sadness.

For the longest time, his focus had been on Jinchūriki Naruto. He knew exactly what Hiruzen was planning.

Sasuke, trained under Kakashi, would learn to master his Sharingan. The goal? To control Nine Tails at critical moments.

Meanwhile, Sakura, a civilian, acted as the symbolic balance in the team—the mascot of sorts.

Thinking it over now, it became clear that Hiruzen was setting up for the future.

"What a cunning move, Hiruzen."

---

[The four-person team was officially established.]

[Kakashi, following Konoha tradition, launched the bell-grabbing exercise to test the team.]

[During the exercise, Naruto fell victim to a trap and Kakashi's infamous Thousand Years of Death technique. As a result, he ended up tied to a stake as punishment.]

[However, the other two members of the team—despite their differences—showed kindness. Seeing that Naruto was without food, Sasuke took the initiative to break the rules.]

["You…"]

["You actually broke the rules I set."]

["You…"]

[Kakashi's lips curled into a sly smile.]

["Congratulations, you've passed."]

[Kakashi smiled slyly and said, "In the ninja world, those who break the rules are called scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum."]

["This is teamwork."]

---

In the Shinigami space, Minato gave a faintly relieved smile.

After Obito's death, Kakashi had truly changed.

He was no longer the lonely individual who worked alone, and he had finally embraced the importance of teamwork.

However, deep within a secluded cave, mocking laughter echoed.

"Hmph! Are you still spouting such useless drivel?"

"Garbage is garbage, no progress at all."

[The seventh team assembled successfully.]

[Naruto, frustrated by doing endless D-rank missions, had grown increasingly irritable. Sasuke, too, was fed up with tasks like retrieving lost items and weeding fields.]

[Finally, with the appearance of bridge-builder Tazuna, the team was assigned their first C-rank mission.]

[For Naruto, it was his first time leaving Konoha Village, and he was filled with excitement.]

[Unfortunately, they were ambushed by two Chūnin-level ninjas while on the road.]

[When the attack came, Naruto froze in fear, unable to react.]

[Fortunately, Sasuke stepped up, performing well enough to save Naruto from injury.]

[The mission level was promptly raised from C-rank to B-rank, but rather than seeking reinforcements from Konoha, the team chose to continue.]

[It was during this journey that Naruto made a firm vow: from now on, he would never allow himself to rely on others to save him.]

[As their mission progressed, Team 7 eventually encountered their most dangerous opponent yet.]

[The rogue ninja from Kirigakure, Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist.]

---

Terumi Mei: "Oh? So the Demon of the Hidden Mist was from our village?"

Ōnoki: "That's one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. The difficulty of this mission is no longer just B-rank."

Fourth Raikage: "Zabuza, huh? I didn't expect the seventh team's first mission outside the village to involve going up against a Jōnin, and not just any Jōnin—an experienced assassin."

Jiraiya: "Not bad, not bad. These kids are doing well, facing such a strong opponent right out of the village."

Uzumaki Naruto: "Heh heh, it was nothing!"

Zabuza Momochi: "…"

Zabuza Momochi: "Hmph! If I hadn't been careless, do you really think you could defeat me?"

Nine Tails: "You brat, without me, do you think you'd have been able to deal with that masked kid darting around?"

Uzumaki Naruto: "Big fox, stop pretending. If I didn't have to use my Chakra to suppress you, I'd have been a Jōnin a long time ago."

Uchiha Sasuke: "Tch! You think becoming a Jōnin is as simple as picking vegetables? Keep dreaming."

[The battle between the two sides was about to begin.]

[Due to his carelessness, Kakashi found himself trapped by Zabuza in a water prison.]

[Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke, even working together, couldn't defeat Zabuza's water clone.]

[Naruto, overwhelmed by the aura emanating from Zabuza, froze in fear.]

[But at the critical moment, Naruto remembered his earlier vow. Suddenly, he regained his courage: "Sasuke! I have a plan."]

[Using the Fūma Shuriken: Shadow Windmill technique and Naruto's Transformation Jutsu, the two successfully freed Kakashi from Zabuza's water prison.]

[With his Sharingan and the thousands of ninjutsu he had copied, Kakashi gained the upper hand. Against Kakashi's skillset, Zabuza had no chance of victory.]

[Ultimately, Zabuza was incapacitated by Kakashi and subsequently taken away by Kirigakure's Anbu pursuers, who appeared suddenly.]

[However, Kakashi collapsed due to the excessive strain from using his Sharingan.]

[The Seventh Team had no choice but to carry Kakashi to Tazuna's house, where they stayed temporarily.]

---

At that moment, the entire ninja world was stunned.

Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke—two Genin who had just left the village—had managed to rescue Kakashi from Zabuza?

What shocked everyone even more was Naruto's performance.

Wasn't he supposed to be the class clown? The one who only knew how to pull pranks?

Yet he was the one who came up with the battle plan, especially in such a life-threatening crisis.

This kid was incredible.

---

Senju Hashirama: " Naruto did a great job. To come up with a battle plan in such a dire situation—impressive!"

Senju Tobirama: "I underestimated him. I thought he was only good at pulling pranks. But at critical moments, he seems to have more ideas than anyone else."

Fourth Raikage: "As expected of the son of the Fourth Hokage. That flash of intelligence is no weaker than his father's."

Yamanaka Ino: "Is this for real? Did they really fight a Jōnin? Naruto and Sasuke actually saved Kakashi-sensei?"

Haruno Sakura: "Ah! Even though I didn't play any role, it's true. Kakashi-sensei's escape was entirely thanks to those two."

Inuzuka Kiba: "I can't believe it. Naruto, the class clown, was so reliable in such a critical moment. I won't lose to him!"

Suigetsu Hozuki: "Shame on you, senpai! As one of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen, you were tricked by two fresh Genin!"

Uchiha Obito: "Kakashi, you're embarrassing. An elite ninja trapped in a water prison? That's just bad."

Hatake Kakashi: "…"

Zabuza Momochi: "…"

---

In the Pure Land, Zabuza felt numb.

Because of Naruto, his name had been publicly "humiliated" throughout the ninja world.

And from what he could tell, Naruto in the white-frame world was mostly seen as a jokester during the early stages.

The thought of encountering Naruto in the black-box world made Zabuza groan internally.

"I really hope I'm lucky in that world and don't end up meeting that kid again," he muttered to himself.