Comeback of Senju Clan

Chapter 51: Time skip II

The mist hung thick in the air, so dense that visibility was reduced to mere feet. Somewhere in the distance, the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore echoed, but the silence that followed was deafening. Shisui Uchiha stood at the head of his team, his dark eyes scanning the surroundings.

"Shisui of the Body Flicker," a deep, raspy voice called out from the mist.

Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist, stepped forward, his massive Executioner's Blade resting casually on his shoulder, its cold steel glinting faintly through the fog.

Shisui remained calm, his stance relaxed yet prepared. His three students—Naruto, Ino, and Shikamaru—stood behind him, clustered protectively around the elderly bridge builder, Tazuna. The tension in the air was palpable.

"If you know who I am, you should probably run away," Shisui replied calmly, his voice steady, though the subtle warning in his tone was unmistakable.

Zabuza chuckled, a deep, menacing sound that echoed through the mist. "Run away? You think I'm scared of you? You may be a famous Uchiha, but protecting three brats and an old man? You're going to lose."

Naruto bristled, stepping forward before Shisui could respond. "You've got another thing coming, pal! There's no way you can beat Shisui-sensei! He's an S-ranked ninja, and he's going to take you down!"

Shisui raised a hand to calm Naruto, his gaze never leaving Zabuza. "Naruto, Ino, Shikamaru—stay with Tazuna. I'll handle this."

"Yes, Shisui-sensei!" the three replied in unison, taking their positions around Tazuna as instructed.

The tension snapped as Zabuza lunged forward, swinging his massive blade with deadly precision. In an instant, Shisui flickered from his spot, vanishing and reappearing behind Zabuza in a blur of speed that made it seem as though he had never moved at all.

Zabuza's eyes widened, just in time to block a kunai strike aimed at the back of his neck. The force of the block sent him skidding backward, his feet digging into the ground as he struggled to keep his balance. He swung again, faster this time, but Shisui was already gone, disappearing into the mist with another flicker of movement.

"Damn it!" Zabuza growled, spinning around to search for his opponent. But the mist was thick, and Shisui was nowhere to be seen.

And then—without warning—Shisui appeared again, this time directly in front of Zabuza. Their blades clashed, sparks flying from the contact. But while Zabuza was using his full strength to hold back Shisui's kunai, Shisui remained unnervingly calm, almost as if he weren't exerting any effort at all.

"I expected more from the Demon of the Hidden Mist," Shisui remarked, his Sharingan eyes spinning lazily as he studied Zabuza's movements. "But you're too slow."

Before Zabuza could react, Shisui flickered once more, moving faster than the eye could track. In a series of rapid, precise strikes, he disarmed Zabuza, sending the Executioner's Blade clattering to the ground. In the same fluid motion, Shisui knocked Zabuza off his feet, sending him crashing into the dirt with a dull thud.

Zabuza lay there, panting and stunned, as Shisui stood over him, kunai in hand.

"You... damn Uchiha..." Zabuza muttered, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Suddenly, a masked figure appeared from the mist—a Hunter-nin from the Hidden Mist, by the looks of it. The figure moved swiftly, kneeling beside Zabuza and inspecting his injuries.

"Step away," the masked ninja said in a soft, yet authoritative voice.

Shisui didn't move but observed the situation with sharp eyes. The Hunter-nin's movements were practiced, almost too perfect. With a quick flick of the wrist, the masked ninja pulled several senbon needles from their sleeve and, in one fluid motion, throwed them into Zabuza's neck.

Zabuza's body went limp.

Shisui's eyes narrowed. He knew what this was—this was no ordinary Hunter-nin. Still, he let the masked ninja take Zabuza's body away. For now, his priority was his team and their mission.

Naruto, Ino, and Shikamaru rushed over, wide-eyed and amazed at how easily their sensei had dispatched Zabuza.

"That was awesome, Shisui-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air. "You took him down like he was nothing!"

Shisui sheathed his kunai and smiled. "Good work keeping Tazuna safe. Let's head to his home."

Later that evening, they arrived at Tazuna's house, a modest yet cozy home nestled near the ocean. Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, welcomed them warmly, offering them a meal after their long day of travel and combat. They all sat around the dinner table, enjoying the hearty stew she had prepared.

It was a peaceful moment, but the silence was soon broken by Tazuna's grandson, Inari. The young boy had been quiet throughout the meal, but now he looked up, his eyes filled with anger and frustration.

"You're all wasting your time," Inari said, his voice trembling with emotion. "You think you can protect this village, but you can't. No one can. Gato is too strong. You'll all just get yourselves killed, just like my dad."

The table fell silent. Ino and Shikamaru exchanged awkward glances, unsure of how to respond. Naruto, however, slammed his hands on the table, standing up.

"That's not true!" Naruto shouted, glaring at Inari. "Shisui-sensei is one of the strongest ninjas in the world! There are only a handful of people who could even stand a chance against him! We're going to protect your village, and we're going to defeat Gato! Believe it!"

Inari looked away, tears welling up in his eyes. He didn't respond, but the doubt in his expression was clear.

Shisui placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, gently pulling him back into his seat. "Naruto, it's okay," Shisui said softly. "Inari has been through a lot. It's not easy to believe in hope when you've lost so much."

Naruto huffed but sat back down, muttering under his breath. Shisui gave Inari a kind smile. "I promise you, we're going to do everything we can to protect your family and your village. You don't have to believe in us just yet, but give us a chance."

Inari didn't say anything, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—perhaps a small glimmer of hope.

The next morning, Naruto wandered through the village alone, needing some time to clear his head after the confrontation with Inari. As he walked along the riverbank, he noticed someone kneeling by the water, gathering medicinal herbs.

It was Haku, the same masked ninja who had "killed" Zabuza the day before, though Naruto didn't recognize him out of his disguise.

"Hey!" Naruto called out, jogging over to Haku. "What are you doing?"

Haku smiled softly, not at all surprised by Naruto's sudden appearance. "I'm gathering herbs. They help heal wounds."

Naruto blinked, taken aback by the calmness and kindness in Haku's voice. "Oh... well, that's cool! I'm Naruto! What's your name?"

"Haku," the boy answered with a gentle smile. "It's nice to meet you, Naruto."

They talked for a while, Naruto's natural curiosity leading to a surprisingly deep conversation about strength, kindness, and what it means to protect someone. Haku's calm demeanor and wisdom resonated with Naruto, who found himself feeling a strange sense of connection to this mysterious stranger.

Later, in a dark hideout somewhere in the Land of Waves, Zabuza sat on a wooden crate, his body still stiff from the needles Haku had used to fake his death. The boy stood nearby, silently preparing for the next phase of their plan.

"Haku," Zabuza said, his voice rough from the recent battle. "We're going to need to take that Uchiha down if we want any chance of completing this job."

Haku looked at him, his expression as unreadable as ever. "It won't be easy. Shisui Uchiha is a real monster, he can be probably as strong as Yagura which you fought."

"I know," Zabuza growled, his fists clenching. "That's why we're going to hit him together. When we attack next, we'll strike as one. No holding back."

Haku nodded silently, his gaze drifting toward the open window, where the mist was beginning to roll in once more.