The sun rose over the Land of Waves, casting its first light on Tazuna's home. Kakashi, Ryuga, Sasuke, and Sakura prepared to escort Tazuna to the bridge, leaving Naruto behind to rest and recover his strength.
"Naruto, make sure you rest up," Kakashi instructed. "You'll need your energy for what's ahead."
Naruto grumbled but reluctantly agreed, waving them off as they left.
Upon arriving at the bridge, the team was met with an unsettling sight. Tazuna's workers lay unconscious, and the area was shrouded in a thick, unnatural mist.
"This mist..." Kakashi muttered, his eye narrowing. "Everyone, stay alert."
Suddenly, water clones of Zabuza emerged from the mist, rushing towards them. Sasuke and Ryuga sprang into action, coordinating their attacks seamlessly.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke unleashed a torrent of flames, evaporating the water clones on impact.
"Rasengan!" Ryuga followed up, his hands encased the chakra Spiral, and smashed through the remaining clones with ease.
Kakashi nodded in approval as the last of the clones dissipated. "Good work, both of you."
Just then, the real Zabuza and a masked Haku emerged from the mist, confirming Kakashi's suspicions. "So, you were hiding all along," Kakashi said, his tone grim.
Meanwhile, back at Tazuna's house, two of Gatō's thugs barged in, intent on kidnapping Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter. Inari, fueled by the stories Naruto had shared with him, stood in their way.
"Get away from my mom!" Inari shouted, clutching a makeshift weapon.
One of the thugs sneered, raising his sword to strike Inari down. Just as the blade descended, Naruto burst through the door, his kunai deflecting the attack.
"You picked the wrong house to mess with!" Naruto declared, swiftly defeating the thugs with a combination of speed and brute force.
Inari stared in awe. "Naruto, you came back!"
Naruto grinned, patting Inari on the head. "You did great, Inari. You stood up for your family. Now, I have to go help mine."
Back on the bridge, Sasuke and Ryuga squared off against Haku. Zabuza watched with interest, noting their ability to keep up with Haku's speed.
Haku, recognizing Sasuke's growing prowess, decided to end the fight quickly. "I'm sorry, Sasuke, but I must protect Zabuza-sama."
"Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!" Haku formed a dome of ice mirrors, trapping Sasuke inside.
Sasuke's eyes darted around as Haku's reflection appeared in each mirror. "What is this…?"
Haku began launching senbon needles at Sasuke from all directions. Despite his efforts to dodge, the relentless barrage overwhelmed him.
"Sasuke!" Ryuga shouted, rushing to help his friend. Just as he reached the ice dome, Zabuza intercepted him, his massive blade swinging down.
"Stay out of this, boy," Zabuza growled, blocking Ryuga's path.
"I won't let you hurt my friend!" Ryuga's hands glowed with icy energy as he gathered his chakra deflecting Zabuza's strikes.
Inside the ice dome, Sasuke struggled to avoid the continuous barrage of needles. His movements were slowing, and he could feel his strength waning.
"Is this… the end?" Sasuke thought, blood trickling from multiple wounds.
Outside, Ryuga fought desperately against Zabuza, trying to find a way to break through and reach Sasuke. But Zabuza's skill and strength were formidable, and he kept Ryuga at bay with powerful, precise strikes.
"Sasuke, hang on!" Ryuga shouted, determined to reach his friend.
Kakashi, observing the intense battle, knew he had to act fast. "I need to take out Zabuza and free Sasuke," he thought, formulating a plan.