The mist thickened—an oppressive curtain cloaking the world in white. Even the trees vanished into the void, and visibility dropped to near zero.
Five figures stood still, poised in a jagged formation. Though sight had abandoned them, their chakra did not. They could feel each other's presence through the invisible web of energy—each one a glowing signal in the gloom.
Except Tazuna.
He stood blind and breathless, heart pounding like a hammer against his ribs.
Then—
A strange gust stirred the mist. Not natural. It moved with purpose, coiling through the fog like a serpent stalking its prey.
Kakashi's eye flicked side to side. His stance dropped low, weight perfectly balanced.
His chakra sharpened into a blade.
"Get down!" he barked.
No hesitation.
Sasuke and Karin dropped instantly, reacting with the speed of instinct.
Even Tazuna, though blind to chakra, obeyed the urgency in Kakashi's voice. He ducked low, trembling.
But one didn't move.
Naruto stood tall—unflinching, unshaken. Like a tree in the wind, unbothered by the coming storm.
Then came the sound.
FWOOOOSH—
A blade tore through the mist, massive and fast, its whistle sharp as a death sentence.
It came for him.
And he moved—not to dodge, but to meet it.
With a flash of chakra and a single step forward, Naruto caught the blade with his bare hand. Chakra surged around his palm—raw, focused, burning like molten gold.
CLANG!
Steel screeched against his chakra-shielded skin, a spray of sparks lighting up the mist like fireflies caught in a storm.
The force of the blow cracked the earth beneath him, but Naruto didn't budge.
He glanced down at the sword, still caught in his grip, then turned his gaze into the fog.
"Guess Gato's sending more than just thugs this time."
His voice was calm. Detached.
Deadly.
"This… this is eye-catching," Naruto muttered, his fingers still gripping the colossal sword he'd just caught mid-air. Sparks still sizzled from the impact, crackling off his chakra-coated palm.
He turned his gaze downward, running his eyes along the massive blade's jagged curve. "Kubikiribōchō… One of the Seven Blades of Kirigakure."
Then he looked up, straight into the fog ahead, his voice quiet but unwavering.
"That would make the current holder… the Demon of the Hidden Mist—Zabuza Momochi."
At that moment, the mist began to unravel—thin streams pulling back like silk drawn through invisible hands. The air grew lighter. Shadows became shapes.
And finally, the silhouette sharpened into a man.
Tall. Broad. Face half-covered by a white mask similar to Kakashi's—but colder, crueler. A massive bandaged sword handle rested against his shoulder, effortlessly lifted like a twig.
"Ho?" the figure spoke, voice rough with amusement. "Didn't know I was that famous. Even a fresh-faced genin knows my name."
He stepped into full view—eyes sharp, feral. A killer who had no need to hide anymore.
Karin stood slowly, eyes flicking between Naruto and the figure ahead. "Nii-san… do you know him?"
Naruto didn't take his eyes off the man for a second.
"Yes," he said, as though reciting from memory. "He is—no, he was—one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Zabuza Momochi. Also known as the Kiri no Kijin."
His tone didn't carry awe or fear—just acknowledgment. Like reading a name from a bingo book. Just another threat to be handled.
Zabuza's eyes shifted, amused by the confidence, then landed on someone more familiar.
Kakashi, now standing, kunai drawn, Sharingan barely visible under the lifted hitai-ate.
"Well, well," Zabuza drawled. "If it isn't the Copy Ninja himself… Hatake Kakashi. With you around—and that weirdly strong brat over there—no wonder my men didn't make it back."
He rested the sword fully on his shoulder, the mist swirling tighter around his body like a shroud of ghosts.
Kakashi's voice was even. Cold. "Zabuza. You're a long way from your grave."
Zabuza chuckled darkly. "Funny. I was about to say the same."
"Is Kakashi... famous?" Karin asked, tilting her head, genuinely puzzled.
Even Sasuke, who usually pretended he was too cool to care, raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
Naruto grinned. Mischief lit up his face like a spark on dry paper. "Oh, very."
He held the giant sword casually in one hand like it weighed nothing. "I think a lot of shinobi across the nations know him. The man's basically a walking legend."
Kakashi, still eyeing Zabuza warily, glanced sideways. "…Naruto."
"And now that I think about it," Naruto went on, ignoring him completely, "I've got the perfect name for him."
Zabuza narrowed his eyes. He didn't like being ignored. But he was curious now, if nothing else. The genin was mocking him and making fun of one of Konoha's best. Either he was incredibly dumb—or scary confident.
Kakashi sighed under his mask. "Please don't—"
"What is it, Nii-san?" Karin asked, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Naruto turned, raised a hand like a rock star introducing the final act of the concert, and declared, "Mr. Worldwide."
Sasuke blinked.
"…What?" Kakashi asked, deadpan.
"Think about it!" Naruto said brightly. "Sharingan that's copied over a thousand jutsu? Traveling from battlefield to battlefield like it's a business tour? The man's got reach. Genjutsu in the north, taijutsu in the south. Boom—Mr. Worldwide."
Karin stifled a snort. "He does kinda give off that exhausted celebrity energy."
Sasuke, reluctantly, muttered, "He does appear everywhere."
Even Zabuza faltered for a second. The tension cracked—not shattered, but bent—by the surreal absurdity of it all.
"Brat, did you forget you're in a fight?" Zabuza growled, his voice low and dangerous, mist curling like smoke around his blade.
Naruto tilted his head, blinked, then looked around exaggeratedly. "Oh... sorry. I forgot you were still here."
BOOM.Zabuza's chakra flared—sharp and furious. His grip on the Kubikiribōchō tightened until it creaked.
Kakashi's eye narrowed. That hit a nerve.
Naruto casually dusted off his pants like Zabuza's rage was just pollen on his jeans. Then, he turned to Kakashi with the confidence of a CEO handing off a minor task.
"Kakashi, handle him."
Kakashi blinked. "What?"
The man had faced rogue Uchiha, fought in a war, and once got dunked on by Might Guy in public. But this? This moment had him questioning reality.
Naruto, fully committed to the bit, raised an eyebrow. "What? Do you want a fresh Genin to handle a war-worn, blood-soaked, PTSD-having elite Jōnin? Bro, be serious."
Karin slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle the laugh. Sasuke just stared—half-horrified, half impressed.
Even Zabuza looked like he didn't know whether to be insulted or worried. "You think this is a joke?"
Naruto stood up slowly, brushing off his jacket. "Oh no, Zabuza... this is the prelude."
Zabuza's glare sharpened. "Prelude?"
Naruto turned, hands in pockets, wind tugging at his cloak. "The part where the real fight begins. And you find out why I'm sitting this one out."
Kakashi stepped forward at that. His voice was calm, but laced with challenge. "I guess I better put on a good show, huh? Wouldn't want to disappoint Mr. Worldwide's audience."
Naruto gave a smirk over his shoulder. "Break a leg, Kakashi-sensei. Preferably not yours."
And just like that, the fog deepened. The Kubikiribōchō gleamed again, bloodlust returned to Zabuza's eyes.
Kakashi lifted his hitai-ate, revealing the Sharingan.
Showtime.
All four of them—Naruto, Sasuke, Karin, and even Tazuna—were now seated like they were watching a theater performance rather than a life-or-death battle. The mist still lingered, but none of them looked concerned. Their faces? Blank. Unbothered. Emotionless. Tazuna glanced at them, sweating buckets.
He hesitated, then sat down too.
When in Konoha… do as the Leaf-nin do, he figured.
Suddenly, a crinkling sound broke the silence.
Naruto casually pulled out a bright red bag of popcorn like he was hosting a Netflix binge session. He shook it once, then turned to Tazuna.
"Want some?" he asked, holding the bag out like this was movie night and not, y'know, an elite assassination attempt.
Tazuna blinked. "Where did you even get that?"
Naruto gave him a sideways look. "Don't question the process. Embrace the results. So, you want or nah?"
"…I want."
And just like that, the old man started munching, eyes glued to the battle. Karin was sipping from a can of some energy drink she definitely didn't have two minutes ago. Sasuke was leaning back, arms crossed, giving occasional side-eyes like a picky critic watching a rookie stage play.
Meanwhile, out in the mist, steel clashed, chakra flared, and Kakashi freaking Hatake was locked in a death dance with the Demon of the Hidden Mist.
Naruto leaned over to Sasuke. "I give this round a solid 7.5. He's still warming up."
Sasuke didn't even flinch. "I'll wait for the third act. That's where he usually shows off."
Popcorn crunched. Blades clashed.
Elite shinobi showdown?
Nah.To them, this was just the pre-show.