Chapter 14 - A Draw

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"Renjiro!"

Meri's scream cut through the mist like a blade. Even Maemon—usually the calmest one in the group—charged forward recklessly, abandoning all caution.

In contrast, the twisted grin on Zabuza's face deepened. He felt a twinge of regret—wasting a talent like Renjiro's was unfortunate. But he was the enemy. Killing a gifted adversary with his own hands brought a special kind of satisfaction.

As Zabuza's blade slashed across Renjiro's throat—

Boom!

Renjiro's body suddenly exploded into white smoke.

The suddenness of it stunned everyone, freezing them in place.

Meri's scream died mid-sentence, as if choked off. Maemon stopped dead, staring wide-eyed at the smoke that lingered between them and Zabuza. The rest of the squad stood just as still, paralyzed by the unexpected twist.

Zabuza's expression darkened as realization hit him: "Clone Technique?"

"Yes, you're right." Came Renjiro's voice from behind.

Zabuza spun around instantly—And there stood Renjiro, five meters behind him, calm and composed.

Renjiro's gaze held a trace of frustration.

If only he had the right ninjutsu—Earth Release: Inner Decapitation Technique or Body Flicker Technique—he could have capitalized on the distraction and ended Zabuza with one precise strike.

But he had neither, he lacked any silent approach techniques that could allow him to assassinate someone like Zabuza from behind.

So that perfect opportunity slipped through his fingers, which made Renjiro feel very regretful.

"When did you switch?" Zabuza asked coldly.

Renjiro shrugged and said calmly: "Caution is a fundamental trait of any good shinobi."

Of course, he wasn't going to answer the question directly or reveal his tactics in the middle of battle—especially not to a deadly enemy. That would be foolish.

And besides... even if they were enemies, how could he possibly tell Zabuza that he knew his character from a manga and had anticipated his mental patterns?

Zabuza's face turned ashen. He hadn't expected to be outplayed like that—especially not by such a simple trick.

Renjiro twirled his blade once and said: "Enough talk. Let's settle this."

"You're getting cocky, newbie!" Zabuza shouted, with fury flashing in his eyes.

Being outmaneuvered—even once—was something he didn't take lightly, he felt humiliated.

Whoosh!

Zabuza vanished into the white fog again: "I'll show you the true meaning of the Demon of the Mist."

Renjiro's senses tensed immediately.

"Behind you!"

The voice rang out from the fog—but it wasn't Renjiro's. It was Zabuza's—just as he reappeared behind him.

Startled, Renjiro reacted on instinct, slashing his blade in a swift horizontal arc.

Whoosh! Splash!

"Damn it! Water Clone Jutsu..."

Renjiro's eyes scanned the surrounding fog at a terrifying speed: "Where's the real one—?"

"Left!"

Again, Zabuza's voice came—this time from the left.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Renjiro instantly responded, hurling his last shuriken in that direction—the only one left in his ninja pouch, reserved in case he lost his blade and needed a close-combat backup.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Zabuza deflected the shuriken with ease, then vanished back into the mist just as Renjiro charged forward with his sword.

Then— Bang!

Before Renjiro could catch his breath, a powerful blow slammed into his waist, launching him through the air.

But Zabuza didn't stop.

He reappeared at Renjiro's right flank and delivered a brutal kick to his face.

Bang!

"Damn it!" Renjiro cursed under his breath, crossing his arms in front of him to absorb the impact.

He had seen Zabuza—his Observation Haki had caught the movement—but his body simply couldn't keep up. He managed to avoid a fatal blow, but not the strike itself.

"You get it now, kid?" Zabuza's voice echoed from the white mist.

"You may have some talent, but what you pulled earlier was just a lucky trick because I was careless. Against overwhelming strength, cheap tricks are meaningless." After a brief pause, Zabuza's voice came again, colder this time.

He clearly hadn't forgiven the earlier humiliation. Though not yet one of the famed Seven Ninja Swordsmen—still just a Chūnin of the Mist—Zabuza felt his pride had been trampled by a mere rookie Genin.

Renjiro gritted his teeth, wiped the dirt from his mouth, and cried out in his mind: "Arkain—give me something! If this keeps up, I'm going to die for real!"

[Beep! Mission Established! Beginning Data Collection… Simulation Complete!]

[Recommended Solutions:

Option One: Activate 'Advanced Thought Acceleration' — Increase Processing Speed to 100x.

Option Two: Activate 'Combat Visual Assistance Mode.']

Renjiro frowned silently.

Even at his current almost 40x Thought Acceleration—combined with Observation Haki—his brain was already straining under the pressure. If he pushed it to 100x, his mind might collapse entirely.

He hesitated for only a second before speaking to Arkain: "Enable Option Two. Engage Combat Visual Assistance Mode."

[Beep! Activating Combat Visual Assistance Mode…]

Suddenly, Renjiro's perception of the battlefield shifted, as Arkain's mechanical voice rang in his head.

His vision transformed into a dynamic 3D display—highlighting the mist's density, air turbulence, micro-vibrations, and even minuscule distortions in light and sound.

Zabuza had nowhere to hide.

He had chosen this mode over full Thought Acceleration because even the current 40x speed was dangerously taxing.

100x might knock him out on the spot at best, and in worse case cenrio

Just as Renjiro's Observation Haki picked up Zabuza reappearing behind him, Arkain flagged:

[Beep! Incoming Attack from Behind!

Suggested Responses:

→ First Option: Evasive Roll

→ Second Option: Substitution Technique

→ Third Option: Backstab With Sword]

Though the Combat Visual Assistance Mode only offered suggestions, it was a critical lifeline in this life-or-death moment.

"Third option..." Renjiro didn't hesitate, he chose the last choice.

A rolling evasion would buy distance—but not advantage.

The Substitution Technique would waste precious chakra.

A counterattack—risky as it was—offered the only chance to strike back.

Clangg!

Renjiro's blade met Zabuza's in a furious clash, sparks erupting from their collision.

"Tch!"

Zabuza hadn't expected such a fierce counter. He was forced to parry and retreat into the mist once more.

Clangg! Clangg!

From that moment on, the fight began to even out, with Observation Haki and Combat Visual Assistance Mode working in tandem—despite the tremendous strain on his brain—Renjiro could finally keep pace with Zabuza's elusive, deadly assaults.

Zabuza's hidden attacks no longer cornered him into pure defense. Renjiro was no longer being toyed with.

But even with these enhancements, Zabuza's tricks—the Hidden Mist Technique and Water Clone Jutsu—still kept Renjiro from launching any decisive blows.

Clangg! Clangg!

They clashed again and again. Even Zabuza began to feel the pressure as they became locked in a deadly stalemate.

Until—

Boom!

A thunderous explosion erupted in the distance, shaking the earth like a sudden quake. Flames spread outward. A massive fireball burst into the sky, illuminating the mist with blinding brilliance.

"That direction… they succeeded!"

Renjiro's eyes lit up with fierce determination.

The explosion had come from the direction of the bridge—the one the Mist Village had been building, which meant only one thing: Konoha's demolition plan had succeeded.

"Damn it! The plan failed!" Zabuza's expression darkened instantly.

He understood the bridge's strategic importance—just as Konoha did.

With it destroyed, all tactical positioning in the region was compromised.

"So that was Konoha's plan all along." Zabuza looked coldly at Renjiro.

Renjiro raised his hands in mock innocence: "Not my plan. Don't take it out on me."

"Damn it all!" Zabuza's killing intent surged.

He prepared to strike again—but then—

Fwoosh!

A signal flare shot into the sky, bathing the darkness in a crimson glow.

Looking at the flare, Zabuza froze, then his expression twisted with regret and bitterness.

It was the Mist Village's retreat signal. The bridge had fallen, so there was nothing left to fight for.

And then—

A second flare lit up the sky, this one green, it was Konoha's retreat order.

The battle was finally over.

"DAMN IT!!"

Zabuza roared in frustration, clenching his fists so tightly they trembled, but in the end, he had no choice but to retreat.

He couldn't afford to disobey the Mist's command—not under the Blood Mist regime, where disobedience meant immediate execution. And staying behind now, even if he managed to kill Renjiro, meant certain death.

With the Mist forces withdrawing, he'd be alone—no backup, no support. Surrounded by Konoha forces, he'd be cut down eventually.

He shot Renjiro one last glare, his sharp eyes filled with killing intent: "Takane Renjiro… this ends in a draw. Next time we meet—I will kill you."

Whoosh!

And just like that, he vanished into the white mist.

Renjiro didn't lower his guard, not yet. He kept his Observation Haki active, watching, listening, until the mist finally began to fade.

Zabuza's jutsu was dissipating—his chakra no longer sustaining it due to his withdrawal.

Only then did Renjiro allow his senses to relax.

"Arkain... turn off Observation Haki…"

The moment he gave the command, the strain hit him full force.

"Hmm…" Renjiro's vision blurred instantly, and before he could even sigh in relief, the world went dark—and he collapsed.

Dang!

Renjiro's body finally gave out, and he lost consciousness.

"Renjiro!!"

Meri, Maemon, and the rest of the squad rushed toward him in a panic.