Chapter 54 54: Killing Zabuza.

Zabuza turned his head, looked at Kakashi, and sneered, "This is your student? Pathetic. There's no comparison with our generation." "Kaito!" Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura shouted in panic. "I don't know about the rest of this team... but that kid's not bad," Kakashi replied calmly, showing no sign of distress over Kaito's apparent death. After all, he knew Kaito's strength—there was no way he'd be killed so easily by Zabuza. Crack! Crack! Red sparks danced like serpents. Lightning surged violently as Kaito's right fist gleamed like a crimson gem. Zabuza, hearing the noise behind him, turned sharply—eyes narrowing in surprise as he spotted the young man, very much alive and ready to strike. He quickly glanced back to the spot where he thought he'd landed the fatal blow. There, only splintered trees lay on the ground. "A substitution jutsu?" Boom! Kaito stepped forward. His lightning-infused punch exploded toward Zabuza's chest. Splash! Zabuza's body dispersed into water the moment it was struck. "A damn Substitution Jutsu!" Zabuza snarled, regripping his massive sword. "Is that a compliment?" Kaito replied with a grin. Suddenly— Kaito appeared above him in mid-air! His left leg raised high, crackling with chakra-heavy lightning, forming a devastating axe kick. The black-cloaked strike, howling through the air like a falling meteor, crashed downward toward Zabuza! "This brat's speed...! Damn it! I forgot he's a Sensor Ninja!" Zabuza's eyes widened in shock. There wasn't enough time to use any jutsu. In desperation, he raised his sword overhead to block. Boom! The two collided in a fierce clash of power! A sharp crack ran through the blade of the Executioner's Sword as the pressure intensified. More cracks spread like spiderwebs. Snap! Snap! The massive blade finally shattered, fragments clattering across the ground. Zabuza stared at the remains of his prized weapon in horror. But his instincts kicked in—he clasped his arms together in front of his forehead, preparing to defend himself. Kaito smirked. His whip kick, still overflowing with power, became a blur—and slammed down again onto Zabuza's arms. Boom! A violent jolt surged through Zabuza's arms. His muscles spasmed uncontrollably from the impact. Pain flooded his body. He couldn't even scream. The force drove his own arms into his head—followed by a massive shockwave that split the ground beneath him. Snap! Snap! The cracks widened, snaking outward like angry serpents. Crack! Crack! Zabuza's face paled. He was pinned—both arms locked in defense, unable to form hand signs. If he could, he would've already slipped away with the Body Flicker Technique. Red lightning coiled around Kaito's legs, like a living net of plasma, enveloping Zabuza entirely. Crack! Crack! As soon as the lightning touched him, his body convulsed violently. His strength gave out completely, and a foul, charred scent began to rise from his skin. Sensing the opening, Kaito pressed his foot down with brutal force. Boom! The ground burst beneath Zabuza. Earth flew in all directions, forming a shallow crater on impact. Crash! Zabuza's limp body hit the pit. But the pressure didn't stop—he was launched backward like a ragdoll, plowing a deep groove into the earth like a cannonball fired at full force. (Don't worry about the red lightning—it'll be explained later during the fight with Hiashi.) Gulp. Naruto and the others stood frozen, overwhelmed by what they'd just witnessed. "Kai... Kaito... How is he this strong? Is that really him?" Naruto mumbled, dazed. Sasuke's face was pale with disbelief. He had always seen Kaito as a rival—someone to surpass one day. Now, watching this scene, he realized the gap between them was far wider than he had imagined. "Kaito's strength... might already rival that man." Sakura, meanwhile, was starstruck. "Wow... Kaito's so cool! That kick was amazing!" Kakashi kept a composed face, but inwardly, he was just as shocked. He had assumed Kaito's strength was on par with a standard jonin, but now... he wasn't so sure. This was no ordinary jonin. His power might even surpass mine. Kaito, unaware of their thoughts, calmly walked toward Zabuza. The rogue ninja's wide, bloodshot eyes stared blankly, full of fear and disbelief. His bandaged face was stained red, the smell of scorched flesh strong in the air—mixed with something else. The unmistakable smell of cooked meat. That's right—Zabuza had been fried by Kaito's lightning. He was dead. Truly dead. Kaito grabbed the body and, in a flash, appeared in front of Kakashi's team. He tossed it casually on the ground. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei. Here's Zabuza's body. Mission complete. Let's move on." --- (^▽^) Become a patron to get access to 60+ chapters in advance. [email protected]/Zphyr_ Change @ to a.