Naruto The Red Spiral Rebirth

"Wind Demon Shuriken: Shadow Windmill!"

Sasuke shouted, hurling a large shuriken at Zabuza's body. Hidden in the shadow of Sasuke's weapon was another shuriken — Naruto, transformed into a copy, using the Henge no Jutsu. The two projectiles spun through the air as one.

Zabuza, misled by the frontal assault, focused on dodging the obvious threat. It was in that moment, thanks to his carelessness and arrogance, that Kakashi seized the opportunity to escape from the water prison.

"You damn kids!"

Zabuza roared in anger upon realizing he'd been tricked by a bunch of Genin.

The transformed shuriken — Naruto in disguise — flew toward Zabuza. Just as it was about to hit, Zabuza caught it with one hand, sneering. But his expression changed the moment he realized it wouldn't move.

"Clang!"

The shuriken was suddenly parried midair and knocked back. Kakashi had intervened, using the reinforced metal plate on his glove to deflect it. His Sharingan flared to life, and his voice was low and deadly serious.

"Naruto, that was a brilliant plan. Both of you have grown stronger."

Naruto beamed proudly, eager to brag. "Hehe, yeah! I was the one who came up with it!"

But before he could go on, Zabuza snarled through gritted teeth. "Don't flatter yourselves. You just caught me off guard! Now, I'll end this!"

Zabuza attempted to release the water prison technique again, but Kakashi cut him off coldly.

"You didn't cancel the jutsu. I did."

His voice was calm, but laced with an edge sharp enough to pierce steel.

"You should know by now — the same technique doesn't work on me twice."

The tension in the air thickened as both Kakashi and Zabuza locked eyes. Neither flinched.

With a swift movement, Kakashi knocked the shuriken from Zabuza's hand and leapt backward to create distance. Before either could land, both of them began weaving signs rapidly.

More than forty intricate hand seals flashed by in a blur.

"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" (Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique)

Two enormous dragons of water erupted from the river, roaring toward one another.

The tremendous forces clashed midair, sending torrents of water spraying everywhere. The river surged violently, the chakra-infused beasts colliding in a brutal deadlock.

Zabuza's eyes narrowed.

'What is this? The Sharingan only lets you copy techniques. How is he completing the jutsu at the same time as me? He's not just mimicking me—he's keeping pace!'

He tried to form seals again.

"You're just copying me, monkey-boy," Zabuza sneered, trying to reassert control over the situation. "You're not better than me — you're just repeating what I do!"

But Kakashi repeated his words verbatim, throwing Zabuza off completely. His Sharingan eyes spun, the tomoe swirling faster than ever before, as though drawing in Zabuza's very soul.

Zabuza froze.

It was as if some primal instinct warned him: if he made another move, something horrible would happen.

His body refused to move, paralyzed not by a technique but by the sheer killing intent and illusion brought on by the Sharingan. In his eyes, Kakashi had become a wild beast ready to pounce.

Kakashi didn't waste the opening.

The Water Dragon Bullet surged forward and crashed into Zabuza with full force. The wave knocked him off his feet and slammed him into the trees behind him. The impact caused internal injuries, and he slumped, barely conscious.

Before he could recover, a kunai was embedded in the tree behind him, nailing his arm to the trunk.

Zabuza coughed blood, eyes filled with disbelief.

"How... how can he move faster than me?"

He gasped, dazed and battered.

Kakashi approached slowly, his tone grim. "Yes, I can read your movements. This is the end."

But before he could deliver the final blow—

Thunk! Thunk!

Two senbon needles pierced Zabuza's neck with uncanny precision.

A figure landed nearby, a young man dressed in the uniform of the Mist Village's Anbu assassination unit.

"He's dead," the newcomer said with a calm and almost playful tone — the kind a girl might use when teasing.

Kakashi didn't drop his guard. He turned to the youth warily and immediately moved to inspect Zabuza's body.

"He's... indeed dead," Kakashi muttered, surprised.

"Thank you for the help," the youth said, bowing respectfully. "I've been tracking this rogue ninja for a while now. I'm with the Mist's Hunter-nin unit."

Kakashi studied the mask. "You're from the Hidden Mist's assassination squad?"

"You're sharp," the youth smiled politely. "It's my duty to dispose of rogue ninjas like him. I must now take care of the body. It contains too many secrets to leave behind."

Without another word, he hoisted Zabuza's limp form onto his shoulder and vanished using a swift Wind-Style Body Flicker Technique.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes.

That was too clean, too convenient.

Still, they had a job to do. "Let's keep moving. Our mission isn't over. We must escort Mr. Tazuna home," he said to his team.

But after taking a few steps, Kakashi suddenly collapsed.

He had pushed his body beyond its limit.

---

Kakashi lay unconscious at Tazuna's house, his breath shallow, his body in recovery.

Night fell.

A figure silently emerged like a shadow, appearing at Kakashi's bedside. It was Tom, dressed in dark robes, moving with eerie calm.

"Honestly, this is embarrassing, Mr. Kakashi," he said with a teasing smirk as he knelt beside him.

He placed his hands on Kakashi's chest, channeling medical chakra into him. Warm green light illuminated the room.

"You're late, Tom," Kakashi muttered, cracking one eye open with effort.

"I heard you ran into trouble, so I came to help. You look like you got run over by a chakra beast."

Tom maintained a light tone, but his hands were steady, focused. "What happened? You're not the type to fall easily."

Kakashi sighed. "Zabuza Momochi. One of the Hidden Mist's 'Demon Brothers.' I defeated him... but someone from the Mist Anbu showed up and took the body. It didn't sit right with me."

Tom frowned. "Took the body? That's not standard protocol. Normally, corpses are burned on-site to prevent intel leaks."

"I thought the same thing," Kakashi replied wearily. "If they only needed proof, they could've just taken his head. But this... no, it wasn't normal."

"And the person?" Tom asked.

"A young boy. He used senbon needles and wore a Mist Anbu mask. Said he was on a hunt for defectors."

Tom's expression darkened. "That doesn't add up."

Kakashi agreed. "It's bothering me too. I let him take the body, but now I regret it."

Tom nodded, his medical chakra flowing steadily. "Regardless, your injuries are mostly due to overusing your Sharingan. If you follow my treatment, you'll be back on your feet in three days."

"That's a relief," Kakashi sighed. But Tom wasn't finished.

"That boy is dangerous. I can feel it."

"Yeah," Kakashi admitted. "And Zabuza... if that was a fake death... he may still be alive."

Tom nodded. "In that case, we must prepare for another attack."

Kakashi sat up slightly, wincing. "Kado likely knows Tazuna hired powerful ninja. He'll try again. The dark market's full of rogue shinobi."

Tom's eyes glinted with resolve. "Then we'll train. I'll help Sasuke and Naruto grow stronger. We'll be ready."

Kakashi smiled. "Good. The village can't send backup in time. You're right. Increasing our combat strength is the best move."

Tom stood, eyes serious. "If Zabuza returns, he won't be so lucky next time."

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