Suffice to say it ended just as Rei expected, all of them decided to go along. Now Sasuke was more motivated than he ever was. Rei had been good with D class missions which he could accept as nothing huge was required.
But even in high level mission he was leaving everyone behind. He was ashad, and he wanted a platform to prove himself. And thus he agreed to go along in this mission, while Naruto was just being an emotional idiot.
Sakura didn't much of a voice of her own at the mont, and just followed Sasuke like a love-sick puppy. Kakashi would have loved to go back, but since his students had said so, they agreed and thus all of them turned towards Rei at the end, as he was the one who got the information.
"Since sensei had agreed, I would agree too.." Rei said.
"Alright then." Kakashi nodded. "But understand this carefully. If the situation crosses beyond manageable risk… we leave imdiately."
Because despite the man's laziness and emotional damage, Kakashi genuinely wasn't reckless with his team's lives. He had lost too much.
And thus, after a brief rest, the group finally continued toward the Land of Waves properly.
Fog slowly thickened around the unfinished bridge as they approached deeper into the region. They soon crossed that bridge on a small boat, and finally ca to the land. But the mont they stepped inside they knew sothing was wrong.
And then Rei felt it, first.. the sheer bloodlust. And just like that a dense mist covered the area. It didn't take long for Zabuza to show up, and unlike the canon, he didn't show up alone.
He showed up with Haku. The atmosphere changed instantly the mont both of them appeared together.
In canon, Zabuza had tested Kakashi first. Here? There was none of that. The Demon Brothers had vanished completely without leaving behind even corpses. That alone had already made Zabuza cautious enough to bring Haku directly into the battlefield.
The giant blade rested over Zabuza's shoulder while Haku stood beside him wearing that sa emotionless mask. Thick mist slowly spread across the unfinished bridge while the pressure in the air itself beca heavier.
Naruto imdiately stiffened. Sakura too looked pale while Sasuke narrowed his eyes sharply at the two missing nin.
Kakashi anwhile slowly pulled up his forehead protector.
And the mont the Sharingan appeared, Zabuza's expression changed slightly.
"…The Copy Ninja Kakashi."
"You know ?" Kakashi replied calmly though his body remained completely tense now.
"Hah." Zabuza grinned slightly. "Anyone worth killing knows you."
Rei quietly observed both sides while internally calculating. This was already worse than canon. Because Haku standing here ant Zabuza wasn't underestimating them at all.
Kakashi spoke sharply without even turning around.
"Sasuke. Naruto. Sakura. Rei.. Protect Tazuna at all costs."
But Sasuke was having none of it and directly said.
"We'll handle the masked one."
"Huh?"
Sasuke's eyes remained fixed toward Haku.
"If Kakashi-sensei fights both at once, we beco dead weight. And besides, I can't have you hog all the lilight now can we? What do you think Naruto.."
"You took words right from my mouth Sasuke.. You better believe it.."
"Aren't you guys getting too cocky.. That's a very experienced shinobi.." Rei couldn't help but ask.
"Hehehe.. If sothing happens to us, you will save us anyways.." Naruto said with such a goofy smile that Rei couldn't argue against. Besides, he had really taken away all growth from these younglings. It was ti to let them see the battlefield.
Haku was exactly the kind of opponent both Naruto and Sasuke needed right now. A speed-focused shinobi that completely overwheld them technically.
Growth through trauma. The Naruto way, no no.. That's the Sasuke way.. Actually you know what? The both way...
"…Fine." Rei finally nodded lightly afterward. "But don't die stupidly."
Naruto imdiately looked offended.
"WE WON'T DIE!"
"…That sentence usually gets people killed."
Before Naruto could complain further however, the battle already exploded into motion.
Kakashi and Zabuza vanished almost instantly afterward, tal clashing violently sowhere deeper into the mist while Haku moved toward Team 7 silently.
And then the ice mirrors appeared.
The surrounding temperature dropped instantly while crystal mirrors ford around Naruto and Sasuke rapidly. Sakura remained outside protecting Tazuna while Rei quietly watched the formation complete itself.
Demonic Ice Mirrors.
Seeing it in real life looked significantly more terrifying than ani ever captured. After all the ani was way too old and choppy.
Haku's reflection appeared across every mirror simultaneously while senbon needles flashed outward repeatedly at absurd speeds. Naruto imdiately got overwheld while Sasuke barely managed to track the attacks through instinct alone.
And honestly?
Haku was holding back massively already.
Still, Naruto and Sasuke adapted surprisingly quickly. Especially Sasuke. His movents gradually sharpened while his eyes focused harder and harder trying to follow Haku's speed through the mirrors.
Rei anwhile remained outside initially. Not because he couldn't interfere. Because this fight mattered for Sasuke and Naruto too.
But eventually… the situation shifted.
Naruto's movents slowed considerably while senbon needles pierced repeatedly into his limbs. Sasuke himself was breathing heavily now while trying desperately to track Haku's movents.
Then suddenly Haku appeared behind Naruto directly. Needles flashed downward toward vital points. Sasuke saw this and he ran to intercept them while using his own body as a shield. He was ready to die to save his friend. And that mont he regretted not asking Rei for help.
They had all the intel, and though Naruto was stupid at tis, he followed Sasuke's lead and even then they failed terribly and before they could realize they were much further from Rei and Sakura. This wasn't in their calculation.
Their concentration on the fight was so deep that they didn't take the surrounding and position into consideration at all.
And now they were going to die. And at that exact mont, a hand suddenly intercepted the senbon midair.
Haku's eyes widened slightly seeing a water clone standing beside Naruto now.
"…What?"
Even Sasuke froze briefly.
Because the battlefield was far from Rei's actual position monts ago. Yet sohow Rei had already appeared inside the mirrors themselves.
"You two are way too slow."
"Rei..."
And Rei didn't continue to mock and just proceeded to do fast hand signs.
"Water Clone Jutsu."
Yes, after Rei defeated those two brothers, all their experiences and techniques were now in his mind. Normally, Rei would take so ti to get used to additional chakra and techniques. That had been the rule since the beginning, and in fact this ti too it was sa.
It's just that their chakra content and mastery over their techniques were so low that Rei digested it all along the path. The new chakra didn't even add 1/8th of his original chakra level. And though their mastery and control over chakra were low, they did have the techniques and Rei was able to use them here in the first.
Last few years of leanring chakra control everyday finally paid off. Three clones appeared at the field. Kakashi, though was a bit far from the fight, did notice the use of water clones.
"Wasn't this guy proficient in earth style? How does he have water style now? What is going on.." Kakashi was a bit perplexed now.
Haku imdiately reacted afterward, movent turning sharper now while senbon rained across the battlefield violently. One water clone burst apart imdiately. Then another.
Still… Rei didn't seem bothered. Because that wasn't the point.
The shattered clones exploded outward into water droplets across the mirror field. Tiny suspended droplets floating everywhere now due to the repeated destruction.
Rei didn't stop, he used more water clones. This wasn't shadow clone so he could use a good number of them, one after another, not simultaneously of course.
Haku continued moving rapidly through the mirrors without realizing the problem imdiately. Then suddenly, Rei's eyes narrowed.
There.
While Haku was doing so he was moving from one mirror to another, so as not to let Rei catch her concurrent location. He was after all a single person and the other mirrors were just reflection of his. Though one had to give it to her. He was extrely fast.
The droplets shifted unnaturally every single ti Haku moved between mirrors. And it left a trace every ti.
"I have had enough of your bullshit.." Rei murmured and then proceeded to do the most anti-climactic thing possible.
He took out a pistol. Sasuke's eyes widened instantly.
"…What is that?"
No answer ca. Only two gunshots exploded across the battlefield violently.
Bang.
Bang.
The sound itself shocked everyone.
Haku's movent instantly broke apart afterward. Blood exploded outward from his shoulder while another shot tore directly into his leg mid-transition between mirrors.
"…AAH—!"
For the first ti during the entire battle, Haku lost speed completely.
The mirrors destabilized imdiately afterward while the masked shinobi crashed violently onto the bridge floor.
Even Zabuza's battle with Kakashi briefly paused in the distance.
Because nobody there had ever heard a gunshot before.
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