For a true warrior walking the thorny path of a shinobi, there is no better gift than to clash in battle with a strong and worthy opponent. After all, every fight with a dangerous enemy provides experience, as well as unforgettable sensations of struggling on the edge, where the slightest mistake can cost you your life. It is this struggle on the edge that provides a magnificent opportunity to grow and improve on the path of a ninja.
However… this is only relevant when the opponent is roughly at your level; or when you have at least a tiny chance of victory in the fight.
Unfortunately, Momochi Zabuza hadn't been lucky lately. He had encountered true monsters twice. Those who, in his opinion, were if not at the top of the "food chain" of the shinobi world, then somewhere close to it. First, the Green Beast of Konoha, who dealt with him playfully. Then this bald guy, who didn't even need to touch the swordsman to almost kill him. Bijuu Saitama turned out to be unimaginably strong.
But how is this possible? He's the Demon of the Hidden Mist! Were all his training, service in ANBU, battles on the edge, participation in local wars… were they all in vain? He's not a weakling!
Zabuza sighed heavily, his empty gaze sweeping over the surroundings.
The rays of the afternoon sun played on the leaves wet from the recent rain. There was no mist, and the swordsman hadn't created it on purpose this time. Due to the extremely high humidity, merchants from afar and other foreign travelers found it difficult to breathe here. But for the locals, as well as experienced shinobi, this unpleasant trifle caused only slight discomfort. Zabuza, on the other hand, was completely comfortable in such conditions, because the Land of Waves and Kirigakure, where he came from, were not just in the same climatic zone, but practically next to each other. In general, he felt almost at home here.
There was no longer any point in eliminating the architect, all because Gato was dead, and accordingly, the swordsman would not receive the money for killing Tazuna. Those damn Akatsuki had made their move after all, although they had tried to hide the fact of their involvement. Haku had found this out not so long ago, and Momochi didn't even know whether to be happy or grieve. On the one hand, he himself would have gladly squashed the shorty. On the other hand, now there was no point in enmity with the shinobi from Konoha, and this was undoubtedly a plus.
True, there was another point: nowadays, quite a lot of riffraff, who had scattered after the death of the shipping magnate, were wandering around the district, so there could be attacks on the locals. However, that wasn't his problem. Let the Konoha people deal with it.
Thus, by a twist of fate, Zabuza's mission was now irrelevant, and he was forced to leave empty-handed. But at least on his own two feet. If those monsters from Konoha had been less peace-loving, Momochi would have died along with his "tool."
— Zabuza-san, — a pleasant, high voice was heard.
— Haku? — Momochi slowly turned to his student.
The boy was dressed in a pink kimono, and his hair was loose; a small travel bag hung from his shoulder. In this form, he could easily be mistaken for a girl. Although he didn't look particularly masculine even in combat clothing.
The swordsman snorted, recalling the events of three days ago. After Momochi was sent flying into the courtyard by the bald man's technique, some kind of bacchanalia began. As soon as Zabuza regained consciousness, he became a spectator of a circus performance, there was no other way to describe it. The one he wanted to kill began to worry about his health; instead of finishing off the swordsman, the bald man acted like a fool. However, Yuki didn't believe in Saitama's peaceful intentions and tried to protect Momochi.
Then a purple-haired kunoichi and a small Green Beast appeared, and the latter started hitting on Haku. Zabuza thought he had a concussion and was hallucinating as a result. However, the surreal images of hearts and Haku dodging didn't disappear. And after that, Zabuza finally had to believe in the reality of what was happening...
The Konoha girls had healed him thanks to Saitama's requests, so on the third day, he could already not only run but even fight decently, although he was far from his best form.
"Still, that bald guy is a complete idiot. How can you care about an enemy? And why?" thought Zabuza as Anko and Ten-Ten stuffed him with pills and carefully poured medicinal concoctions down his throat.
However, yesterday Momochi realized that even when fully healthy, he was no match for Guy and Saitama, because their strength was on a completely different level. Against them, all tricks and deceptions were useless. If Zabuza had previously had some hope for a silent kill or a dishonorable victory using sleeping gas or poisons… then now these hopes had completely evaporated. And all because Saitama and Guy had a "training" spar, and Zabuza had witnessed their fight…
***
The Green Beast was firm in his intentions to fight Saitama. Last time, when he fought the mercenaries in black cloaks with red clouds, he didn't have time to react to the appearance of a new face, and this despite opening the Seven Gates out of Eight. The new jonin from Konoha was impressive. Knocking out the best taijutsu master with a single blow was simply an unimaginable achievement. Might Guy hadn't been put in his place like that in a long time.
The power of the bald shinobi was astonishing. Although Guy hadn't seen his fight with the mercenaries, the fact that Saitama alone had forced everyone to retreat – and had come from the battle without a single scratch – stirred his blood. And the fact that Might Guy, with all his speed and reflexes, hadn't managed to react to the blow only added to the mystery of the strange newcomer shinobi.
The Green Beast didn't consider himself a weakling. Even as a genin, he had chosen the genius Hatake Kakashi as his eternal rival. Years passed, Might Guy trained like a madman. Every day he experienced incredible pain, but he moved forward towards his goal. The goal of catching up with Kakashi, and also, if necessary, being able to protect everyone he held dear.
It had taken him more than ten years, but he had finally managed to become on par with an elite S-rank shinobi. And not just on par. By and large, Guy realized that he had long since surpassed his eternal rival. In taijutsu, at least, that was certainly the case. Lately, all their "rounds" of confrontation had been nothing more than a game, something to shake up the Copy Ninja, to distract him from his sad thoughts.
Even in his youth, thanks to his father, Guy had mastered the first stages of the Hachimon. Now he knew that if he opened the Gates, even Kakashi with his Sharingan would be no match for him. Probably even the Sandaime wouldn't be able to defeat Guy under the Gates. However, Might Guy would never use this kinjutsu against his own, because this technique was created to protect loved ones, not to demonstrate coolness and power.
But despite all the strength gained through painstaking work, and the presence of such a trump card as the Hachimon, Might Guy still improved himself every day. Every day he trained. Perhaps not as furiously as in his youth, but he never allowed himself to fully relax. Because he understood that one day of slackening was equivalent to a step backward on the path of a ninja...
And so, after the mission in the Land of Waves, Guy realized that it was time to reach a new goal. An unattainable goal, a goal for which he would again have to overcome his limit, training until he bled. Saitama could not be his eternal rival, as there could only be one rival. And for Guy, that was Kakashi. Saitama, on the other hand, seemed more like a teacher, a master. Yes, exactly. Even if the bald man wouldn't teach him anything, Might Guy had to achieve at least rare sparring sessions with him at all costs, so that Guy would understand his level and know what to strive for. Moreover, he realized that he wouldn't have to hold back with Saitama, he could give it his all, and the Beast's heart trembled in anticipation.
Having learned about Saitama's character and preferences from Anko, Guy understood how to act. He needed to check his progress over these ten days. Most likely, Guy would lose again, but that was even good, because quick results shouldn't be expected. He was ready to go towards his goal for as long as it took.
Now, standing opposite the bald shinobi, Might Guy played his trump card, namely - he pledged to treat Saitama to free food in Konoha for a whole month when they returned.
***
— Bushy Brows? I like free stuff, of course. But… what the heck do you need this for? — Saitama looked in surprise at the enthusiastic jonin.
— Becauth I mutht. In the name of the Power of Youth! — Guy declared cheerfully, raising his thumb and grinning widely.
However, this time, instead of a perfect smile, those around could observe dark gaps where some of his teeth should have been.
Yes. The thing was, when Saitama mistook the villain for a hero and knocked out Guy, he accidentally knocked out several of his teeth. Since then, the Green Beast had developed a noticeable lisp, but such a trifle didn't bother the jonin at all, and he still continued to show everyone his smile. And there was no point in worrying about it, because Konoha had excellent medical-nin, and as soon as Guy returned, he would get new teeth.
— Guy-sensei! — Lee cried out, tears starting to well up in his eyes.
— Lee! — Guy turned to his student.
— Guy-sensei!
— Lee!
— Will you two stop yelling, — Saitama cleaned his ear. — I agree to the sparring match, but you both need to be quieter.
— Hai! — they shouted in unison, bowing low.
The bald man grimaced and cast a suffering glance at Anko standing nearby.
— Don't look at me like that, — Mitarashi chuckled, adjusting her cloak. Then she added:
— Just don't spar in the city. Better somewhere further away, maybe in that wasteland where you dealt with the mercenaries.
— Okay, — Saitama nodded and waved at the green-clad guys.
— And can we watch? — Zabuza suddenly appeared from behind Anko.
— Bijuu! — the kunoichi cursed, jumping back and drawing a kunai. — Damn swordsman, don't scare me like that! — she hissed.
— Sorry… I did it on purpose, — he grinned from under his bandages. — So, can I watch your fight? — he addressed the men.
— Of course! — Guy and Saitama said with different intonations and different degrees of clarity.
— No, — Mitarashi replied.
The shinobi exchanged glances. Anko shook her head, continuing to hold her kunai:
— Guys, you can't let other shinobi watch your training or sparring matches.
— Come on, — Saitama waved his hand. — If fish-face wants to watch, let him watch.
— He can wath, but he can't interphere! — Guy stated firmly.
Mitarashi clicked her tongue, hid her kunai, and, with a swish of her cloak's hem, turned towards the exit of the courtyard:
— Alright, Swordsman. But no foolishness. I'm watching you.
— Oh, come on, — Momochi chuckled, folding his arms across his chest. — Even though I'm the Demon of the Hidden Mist, I won't try to kill the one who healed me. Besides, do you see any weapons in my hands?
Mitarashi suspiciously examined the mist ninja. The huge executioner's blade wasn't visible next to him. All his equipment, including throwing weapons with poisons, had been taken away from him, and Zabuza wasn't particularly eager to get it back. He could take the Kubikiribōchō at any moment, though, because, thanks to Haku's efforts, it was hidden in a secret place.
Zabuza decided to clarify the situation:
— Don't worry, we no longer have any reason to be enemies. Gato is dead, and my mission, you could say, is annulled. Tomorrow Haku and I will leave, and you will never see us again.
— Alright. I hope we really won't see you again. You're lucky Saitama vouched for you, otherwise you'd be a corpse already…
— Man, your chatter is making me sleepy, — Saitama drawled discontentedly and yawned widely. — Bushy Brows, let's go already, or I'll fall asleep right now…
***
— Well? We're here. What are the rules? — the bald man inquired lazily.
— I wanth you to thow me your power, Thaitama-thama! And I wanth to know where to go!
— Well, since you're asking, — Saitama said indifferently, scratching the back of his head.
Following Mitarashi's advice, they had come to the wasteland that had formed as a result of the bald man's battle with the S-rank missing-nin. In the distance, three small silhouettes were visible – upon closer inspection, a keen eye could discern the figures of Anko, Zabuza, and Lee, who had decided from the very beginning to observe the sparring match from afar.
The weather was so-so. Clouds fought with the midday sun, and the latter was definitely losing. Sometimes golden rays still broke through the pale gray veil, leaving hope for victory, but then denser dark clouds hid the sun completely, as if showing the futility of this meaningless struggle.
There was no rain yet, but distant rumbles of thunder hinted that nature was ready to burst into tears at any moment.
It might seem that a good downpour would be a salvation for this wasteland, but not a single blade of grass would grow on this scorched earth in the near future. This is what happens when several S-class techniques are combined in one attack.
And now, probably, the sparring between the jonin would only worsen the already sad state of this area.
— I'm attacking! In the name of the Power of Youth! — Guy shouted.
Might Guy had removed his weights beforehand, so his speed was incredible. A moment – and he was next to the bald man, delivering a series of kicks. Saitama dodged all the attacks without any problems.
Then the jonin sharply drew steel nunchaku, and a flurry of blows rained down on the bald man, but this time too, the guy lazily dodged them all.
Guy, seeing his opponent's relative inactivity, jumped back and said:
— I think it'th time to thart a little theriouthly. The Third Gate – The Gate of Life!..
Guy's skin turned red, and his body began to emit a greenish aura.
— Oh, you changed your skin color, — Saitama raised an eyebrow. — Can you change your hair color too?
Guy didn't answer. He concentrated fully on the fight, trying to show everything he was capable of while the bald man allowed him to.
— Konoha Hurricane! — Guy rammed the bald shinobi with his elbow, throwing him back ten meters. The nunchaku disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.
Before Saitama could land, Might Guy appeared behind him, sending the guy into the sky with a hard kick. As the bald shinobi soared like a rocket, the bandages on Guy's arms began to unwind.
Without waiting for his opponent to fall to the ground, the Green Beast jumped to meet him; the ground at the point of the jump cracked. The bandages, as if alive, instantly wrapped around Saitama. At this moment, the bald man resembled a mummy, only his head remained uncovered. His face remained absolutely indifferent.
— Primary Lotus!
Saitama spun around his axis. In the next moment, he plummeted down with acceleration, smashing his head through the thick earth. The bald man, drilling into the hard soil, went in like a drill. Only his legs remained above ground.
— The Beast defeated me with this technique, — Zabuza said discontentedly, noticing Anko's concern out of the corner of his eye. — This time the technique is much more powerful. Look how deep the bald guy went.
Mitarashi just swallowed. Rock Lee shouted:
— Guy-sensei, show them everything you're capable of! In the name of the Power of Youth!
— What's there to show? — Zabuza didn't understand, looking at the legs sticking out of the ground. — The fight's over. An ordinary shinobi wouldn't have survived that. But this Saitama is tough, since he's still alive. Victory for the Beast...
Suddenly, the bald man's leg twitched slightly, and in the next moment, the ground exploded, releasing the tokubetsu-jonin.
— It can't be, — the swordsman said in a hoarse voice, staring intently at the bald man. — He doesn't seem to be hurt at all.
Mitarashi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled:
— Nothing will happen to that idiot…
Saitama, having climbed out of the ground, shook the dust off his bald head.
— Hey, — he poked Guy with his finger. — Don't do that again. It's bad for my scalp.
— Hai! — shouted Guy. — Let'th continue, Thaitama-thama! — he had only just intended to attack when Saitama interrupted him.
— Wait, — the bald man raised his palm warningly. — Let me dust myself off a little.
And the guy began to shake out clods of earth and small crumbs from his shirt and breeches. Might Guy, despite having opened the Gates, obediently waited. Half a minute. A minute. Two…
— Are you finithhed? — Might Guy asked impatiently.
— Yep, let's go, — Saitama nodded.
— Exellent! — the man crossed his arms in front of his face. — The Sixth Gate! The Gate of View. Open!
An even denser green aura enveloped Guy's body. The pressure of the power emitted by the taijutsu master generated an unstoppable vortex around him, scattering clods of earth and ash. However, the jonin didn't stop there.
— The Seventh Gate! The Gate of Shock!
Now, blue energy burst from his body. And a storm began to rise in the wasteland. A gray-black storm of ash, dust, and stones. It spread for many hundreds of meters around. The observers retreated even further so as not to be caught in it.
Saitama, however, felt dust getting into his nose and couldn't take it anymore:
— Ah… Ah-ah… Achoo!
The entire storm was swept away in an instant, along with Guy. Despite the fact that he was standing a couple of dozen meters away from the bald man.
— That's the very Futon technique, — Zabuza whispered reverently. — What power. And performed without seals. Saitama almost killed me with this jutsu back then, in the architect's house.
— I won't argue about the power, — Anko said, her eyes wide. — But about the technique… I'm not sure. It seemed to me… or did he just sneeze?
— What are you babbling about, woman? — Momochi sneered contemptuously. — What the hell do you mean, sneezed? That's an S-rank jutsu! Open your eyes. Am I right, Greenhorn? — he addressed Lee.
The genin ignored the Mist Swordsman's question. The boy, clenching his fists nervously, stared intently towards the distant forest, where the bald man's "sneeze-jutsu" had carried his dear Guy-sensei.
— I think the Beast is knocked out, — Zabuza grinned under his mask. — Still… — he didn't finish the sentence, as Guy appeared opposite Saitama, alive and even relatively unharmed. — How the hell? What kind of monsters are these?!
— Be well, Thaitama-thama! — Guy said in a cheerful tone. The Gates were temporarily deactivated. The jonin, despite not having managed to use any of his signature techniques, looked unwell, although he didn't show how difficult it was for him.
— Uh… thanks, of course, — Saitama replied. — But I don't usually get sick.
— Yosh! — Might Guy raised his fist. — Indeed, Thaitama-thama, true men don't get sick. Shall we continue the fight?
— Bushy Brows, are you sure? You don't look so good.
— The Power of Youth burns within me like never before! — Guy declared.
— Well, if you say so, — Saitama scratched his temple. — Just don't kick up any dust, or I'll sneeze from it.
Guy reopened the Sixth Gate and rushed into battle. Saitama didn't resist. He didn't even block his blows. Apparently, the guy was deep in thought about something.
Saitama was thrown into the air again. Guy suddenly appeared above him and immediately rained down a hail of blows on the bald man, after which he delivered a powerful finishing kick:
— Reverse Lotus!
The guy was slammed into the ground again, although not headfirst, but flat on his back. A deep crater formed at the point of impact. The remnants of the shockwave even reached the observers.
However, Might Guy didn't stop there. Still in the air, he shouted:
— Morning Peacock!
The earth was covered by countless fiery projectiles that erupted from the Green Beast's hands.
It would seem that after the battle with the Akatsuki, there was nothing left to burn on this "training ground." But Guy once again managed to surprise, proving that even stone could burn from the flame of his Youth.
As soon as Guy landed on the ground, he immediately retreated as far as possible from the fire.
— The Seventh Gate! The Gate of Shock!..
As soon as the blue aura covered his body, the taijutsu master immediately formed a special seal:
— Hirudora!
Bright energy burst from his hands, instantly taking the form of a huge tiger's snarling face. The jonin directed the Beast of energy straight at the bald man. He was just about to release the full explosive power of the technique when the aura monster seemed to dissipate, and following that, a shimmering hole of gold and blue appeared in the clouds above the wasteland, through which blinding sunlight poured down onto the earth.
— Hey, I'm over here, — a voice was heard from behind, and Might Guy felt a light tap on his shoulder.
Guy turned around and stared in bewilderment at his sparring partner. He was completely unharmed.
The jonin hadn't sensed the bald man at all, relying on his sight and instincts, but he had previously seen him dodge every attack of the Asakujaku, turning into dozens of blurred silhouettes. When the Morning Peacock didn't work, Guy decided to use a special technique in the Seventh Gate – the Daytime Tiger. However, Saitama had uppercutted the technique into the sky, casually destroying it and at the same time dispersing the clouds.
— Well, I won, — Saitama said, stepping forward. — Now there's free grub for a month, — he added a little quieter.
The bald man took a deep breath and exhaled sharply – all the flames from the Asakujaku went out as if by a wave of his hand. The guy turned around, smiling.
— Excellent, Guy. Now I know who I'll take with me on a picnic. You definitely don't need matches with you. You can make a bonfire in no time.
Guy, deactivating the Hachimon, fell to his knees and slammed his head into the ground:
— Thaitama-thama, thank you for the leththon. Pleathe, become my thenthay!
— Uh… — Saitama pondered for a moment. Then he replied: — No. Forget about it.
***
— Zabuza-san, — Haku's voice distracted Zabuza from his memories.
— Yes, Haku. We're leaving soon, — the man said hoarsely.
The boy nodded calmly, his devoted gaze devouring the swordsman.
Momochi looked at Yuki once more, the one he had raised as his weapon. And Haku had fully accepted this.
"A weapon should always be with its master… but if the weapon suddenly breaks, will I be able to…"
He shook his head, driving away the foolish thoughts. Lately, Haku had become more of a shield to him than a weapon. The fact that Haku was ready to protect Zabuza at the cost of his own life had touched some chords in his heart. He remembered how Haku had pulled him out from under the noses of the Green Beast's team, how he had cared for him and brought him to his senses afterwards… He remembered how Haku had fearlessly stood before the bald monster then, ready to fight an overwhelmingly strong opponent to the very end.
Then, near the architect's house, Zabuza, having encountered such power, felt like he was closest to death. And only when he was a step away from the shinigami did Zabuza begin to realize that Haku was not just a tool, not a weapon, but…
But who exactly was he to him? A junior comrade to whom Zabuza had become so attached and even showed a semblance of care? A partner? A comrade-in-arms? Or… maybe even… a friend?
"Damn Konoha people. All sorts of nonsense is creeping into my head now."
— Shall we say goodbye to the Konoha shinobi? — Yuki asked.
Zabuza didn't hesitate with his answer:
— No, we'll leave the way Kirigakure shinobi leave. Without saying goodbye.
— Yes, teacher, — Haku lowered his head. — May I ask, what is our next goal?
The shinobi pondered. As soon as they reached the hiding place with the Sword, they could go anywhere. The other mist ninja from his group had been killed. Therefore, nothing held him in the Land of Waves anymore.
— Some suspicious movements have begun in the Mist, — Momochi drawled. — However, it's too early for us to return there yet.
Zabuza, having encountered monsters like Guy and Saitama, realized that he had been like a frog at the bottom of a well. Zabuza and Haku had been unprepared for this. It was unknown what kind of opponents awaited them in the future. Therefore, they had to be more adapted to this world. They had to become stronger. Much stronger.
— For now, we are too weak. But that will change in the future. We are going on a journey, Haku. A journey in search of power…