Chapter 7: Clash in the Mist
A piercing, bird-like screech tore through the air, sharp enough to make eardrums throb. Kakashi's voice roared, urgent and commanding. "Get down!"
He shoved Naruto and Sakura to the ground, shielding them with his body. At the same moment, Sasuke and Renji moved in sync, each delivering a swift kick to Tazuna, forcing the bridge builder to the dirt to avoid the incoming attack.
A massive blade, gleaming with deadly intent, sliced through the air just above their heads, missing them by a hair's breadth before embedding itself deep into a tree trunk with a thunderous thunk.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +2000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +2000!]
[Chakra (12,650 / 100,000,000)]
A figure materialized atop the sword's hilt, balancing with eerie precision. He wore striped, baggy pants, the lower half of his face wrapped in bandages, his muscular upper body bare and glistening in the humid air of the Land of Waves.
Kakashi stepped forward, his tone lazy but his visible eye sharp with caution. "Well, well. Zabuza Momochi, rogue ninja of the Hidden Mist. Didn't expect to run into you here."
Naruto, burning to redeem himself after freezing up earlier, surged forward, fists clenched. "I'll take him on!"
Kakashi's arm shot out, stopping him dead in his tracks. "Step back, Naruto. All of you, protect Tazuna. This guy's completely different from the previous two. You'd only get in the way."
"Why?!" Naruto protested, his voice cracking with frustration, his whiskered face scrunched in defiance.
"Because," Kakashi said bluntly, his gaze never leaving Zabuza, "this one's a challenge even for me."
He reached up, lifting his forehead protector to reveal his left eye. A blood-red Sharingan gleamed, its three black tomoe spinning ominously, casting an eerie glow in the dim light.
Zabuza turned, a feral grin spreading beneath his bandages. "Kakashi, the Copy Ninja with the Sharingan! Didn't think I'd get the chance to fight you today!"
Renji rolled his eyes, his patience thinning. Enough with the pre-battle banter! Just fight already. Were they secretly admiring each other or something? This dramatic posturing was absurd—though, he had to admit, he was mentally cataloging Zabuza's theatrics for his own use later. A good performer could learn from anyone, even a rogue ninja.
"It's getting foggy," Renji noted, scanning the surroundings. Thick white mist rolled in, swallowing the forest in a suffocating haze. Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna's figures blurred, their outlines fading into the oppressive fog.
"Ninjutsu: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" Zabuza's voice echoed, and he vanished completely from sight.
The fog thickened, reducing visibility to nothing. Renji couldn't even see his own hand in front of his face. The Land of Waves, surrounded by sea, was the perfect battlefield for a Hidden Mist ninja like Zabuza. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the sound of Renji's own steady breathing.
Then, Zabuza's voice slithered through the mist, chillingly close, as if whispered directly into their ears. "Eight points… throat, spine, lungs, liver… carotid artery, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart… So, which vital point should I choose?"
His killing intent saturated the air, sharp and oppressive, like invisible kunai grazing their skin. Sasuke's body trembled, sweat dripping from his brow, his hands shaking despite his efforts to stay composed. Even moving his eyes felt like inviting a swift death.
"What's with all the theatrics?" Renji muttered, exasperated by Zabuza's over-the-top intimidation tactics. The old Renji would've scoffed at this posturing; the new Renji, while still annoyed, was studying every word, every pause. Not a bad way to build tension. I'll remember that.
Kakashi's voice cut through the fear, steady and resolute. "Sasuke, I'll protect you all with my life. Don't worry."
"Can you really?" Zabuza taunted, materializing behind Renji, Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna like a phantom, his presence radiating menace.
Sasuke's muscles locked up, his skin prickling with goosebumps, teeth chattering uncontrollably. The raw terror of Zabuza's killing intent was overwhelming, even for the Uchiha prodigy.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1000!]
[Chakra (13,650 / 100,000,000)]
Renji's body surged with energy, as if struck by lightning. In a flash, he moved, his speed blinding. His left hand steadied Naruto's trembling shoulder, while his right leg snapped out, aiming a brutal kick at the throats of two shadowy figures—Zabuza's Water Clones.
The clones rolled back, deflecting the force with a counterpunch, creating distance. Their throats swelled, pain silencing them, sweat beading on their brows. One second slower, and Renji would've crushed their windpipes.
Crack!
Iron chains whipped through the air, coiling toward Renji with lethal intent. Dodging would be a mistake—Zabuza's real target was Tazuna. If Renji moved, the bridge builder was as good as dead.
Bang!
Renji flicked a shuriken from his ninja tool pouch, pinning the chain to a tree trunk with pinpoint accuracy. In the same breath, he lunged, his fist crackling with black-red electric light. The air warped around it, a telltale sign of Black Flash, the devastating technique born from perfect timing.
The clones couldn't react. Renji's fist smashed through their chests, the spatial distortion making his movements a blur. Their bodies crumpled, dissolving into water with a splash.
Kakashi, concealed in the shadows, watched with sharp focus. This kid's evolving mid-battle. Every move makes him stronger.
But the real Zabuza wasn't done. His massive Kubikiribocho swung at Renji, a deadly arc of steel. Renji leaped high, dodging cleanly—or so he thought. A fist materialized in front of him, too fast to counter, slamming into his chest with bone-crushing force.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1000!]
[Chakra (14,650 / 100,000,000)]
Bang!
The impact shattered several ribs, pain exploding through Renji's body like a fireball. His vision wavered, distorting in waves, the world tilting around him.
Zabuza's voice hissed in his ear, cold and mocking. "Think that's the end? It's just the beginning!"
Another punch slammed into Renji's back, the force reverberating through his body.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1000!]
[Chakra (15,650 / 100,000,000)]
Renji's spine snapped, the sound sickeningly clear in the silent mist. His body went limp, collapsing to the ground like a broken puppet, twisted unnaturally in the dirt.
"Renji!" Kakashi shouted, his focus breaking for a split second. A kunai from a Water Clone grazed his shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood.
"Renji!" Sakura cried, her voice trembling with panic.
"Renji!" Naruto yelled, still rooted in place, his earlier bravado replaced by fear.
That's right. I'm Renji. The thought grounded him, anchoring his fading consciousness. Idle Transfiguration is my Cursed Technique. As long as my soul's intact, my body can't break.
Blue chakra flared around him, a radiant aura knitting his ribs and spine back together in seconds. He rose, his smile radiant, his mismatched eyes blazing with exhilaration as he locked onto Zabuza. "Kakashi-sensei, you know I grow by feeding on battles. So, don't worry about me. Let me have some fun with this sparring partner!"
A falcon-like screech pierced the air. Zabuza, gripping his massive Kubikiribocho with both hands, slashed at Renji with terrifying force. But Renji flickered, reappearing behind him in a blink, his movements almost inhuman.
"Too slow!" Renji taunted, his voice dripping with confidence. "Is this all you've got, Zabuza?"
His hand shot out, fingers grazing toward Zabuza. "If I touch you, you're dead!"
He had no proof, but his instincts screamed that Idle Transfiguration was within his grasp, ready to reshape Zabuza's soul with a single touch. Zabuza's eyes darkened, true killing intent flaring, a primal fury Renji hadn't seen before.
The clash became a whirlwind of motion. Zabuza's blade sliced through the air, each swing a deadly arc, but Renji moved like a phantom, his gait erratic and unpredictable, like a serpent weaving through tall grass. Wounds opened on his body—deep gashes, torn flesh—but they healed instantly, his cursed spirit physique shrugging off every blow as if it were nothing.
This kid's a monster, Zabuza thought, frustration boiling within him. Renji's speed increased with every exchange, his strength grew, and he began anticipating Zabuza's attacks, countering with eerie precision. It was like fighting a mirror of his younger, wilder self—a relentless predator who thrived on combat.
Zabuza halted his assault, hands flashing through seals. The mist thickened, swallowing his figure entirely. The Water Clones harassing Kakashi and the others dissolved, leaving only an oppressive silence.
"Renji, you okay?" Kakashi called, his Sharingan scanning the fog for Zabuza's next move, his voice steady but laced with concern.
"Better than ever!" Renji replied, his smile unwavering, his eyes alight with exhilaration. He felt alive, every nerve buzzing with the thrill of battle.
A barrage of explosive sounds erupted, Zabuza's fists blurring into a relentless wall of strikes. Renji stood at its center, his body pummeled into deep craters in the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth, soaking his shirt, staining the fabric a deep crimson. His body was smashed into dents, bones cracking under the onslaught, but each injury healed instantly, his flesh knitting back together as if untouched.
Renji's hand shot out, grabbing Zabuza's fist. His own broken bones healed in a blink, the pain vanishing. "I touched your soul," he said, his pupils dilating, blood vessels spiderwebbing across his eyes. "Through your clone, I can reach the real you!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Explosions of flesh and bone echoed as the mist cleared abruptly. When vision returned, the sight was horrifying. Zabuza lay in a pool of blood, his limbs mangled, blood trickling from his mouth. His chest rose faintly—he was still alive, but barely. Death was only a matter of time; he'd lost too much blood.
Renji's vision blackened, his body finally giving out from the chakra drain. He collapsed backward, limp.
"Renji!" Kakashi caught him, lifting him into his arms with practiced ease.
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke rushed over, their faces pale with worry. "Kakashi-sensei, is he okay?" Naruto asked, his voice tight with anxiety, his earlier fear forgotten.
Kakashi checked Renji's pulse, then shook his head reassuringly. "He's fine. Just burned through too much chakra. He'll recover."
Naruto exhaled, relief flooding his whiskered face. Kakashi glanced at Zabuza's broken body, then sealed the reformed Kubikiribocho—its blade restored by drinking blood—into a scroll with a swift hand seal. "Let's go. Renji needs rest at Tazuna's house."
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +10,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +10,000!]
[Chakra (25,650 / 100,000,000)]
As they left, a thin figure emerged from the shadows, kneeling beside Zabuza's corpse, their expression hidden in the fading mist.