- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 41
As a master of martial arts, detecting an enemy’s movements relies on more than just sight. Wind, breathing, sounds, smells, and killing intent all contribute to pinpointing an opponent’s location. Even with his eyes closed, Leo could still engage in combat using his exceptional physical prowess and vast experience.
Zabuza’s Silent Killing Technique was indeed formidable, allowing him to move without making a sound in the thick mist. However, he couldn’t escape Leo’s keen senses.
“Clang!”
Zabuza’s brow furrowed as he unexpectedly encountered Leo’s staff. He quickly shifted the kunai he intended for Tazuna and redirected it to intercept the staff aimed at his chest.
“What tremendous strength!” Zabuza thought, feeling the impact travel up his arm. He immediately retreated to dissipate the force.
The staff itself was a heavy weapon, and Leo’s staff was specially made, weighing twice as much as a regular one. Had Zabuza still held his Executioner’s Blade, he might have withstood the blow. But with a kunai, it was impossible to block effectively. Coupled with Leo’s martial arts expertise, his physical strength was extraordinary. Enhanced by the Sage’s Chakra, he employed a unique technique to maximize force.
Had Zabuza not retreated swiftly, opting to block head-on, his wrist would have likely fractured from the blow. Only now did Zabuza begin to take Leo seriously.
In the ninja world, intelligence was paramount. Skilled ninjas were typically documented in the ninja registries of major villages, allowing even first-time encounters to identify each other and know each other’s basic capabilities. Conversely, those not mentioned in the registries were generally considered less significant.
However, Zabuza hadn’t expected that eight months ago, Leo was merely the Prince of the Fire Nation. Since becoming a ninja, he had spent most of his time in the Fire Temple, and only those within the temple knew his true strength. Even Master Chiriku was unaware of Leo’s full capabilities since Leo had never demonstrated his non-Fire Nation ninjutsu or lethal martial techniques in front of him. Keeping some cards hidden was always wise to avoid giving the enemy too much information.
“No wonder he’s an elite Jonin!” Leo admired as he watched Zabuza retreat. Despite his surprise attack, Zabuza had reacted swiftly and avoided the full brunt of the strike.
“Such speed!” Leo thought as he saw Kakashi exploit the opening, appearing behind the retreating Zabuza and silently thrusting a kunai into his waist.
“Squelch!”
Surprisingly, Zabuza turned into a puddle of water upon being struck, and another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi.
“Squelch!”
Similarly, Kakashi also turned into a puddle as another kunai appeared at Zabuza’s throat.
“What just happened?” Naruto and the others were still in shock, struggling to comprehend the rapid sequence of events.
From Zabuza’s initial attack on Tazuna to Kakashi’s kunai at Zabuza’s throat, it had all transpired in mere seconds.
“When I forced Zabuza to retreat, he used a Water Clone Jutsu and hid his true body in the mist. At the same time, Kakashi copied his technique and hid his real body. So, the battle we just witnessed was between their water clones,” Leo explained, his tone serious.
He could follow their movements, but his mastery of ninjutsu wasn’t advanced enough to substitute himself with a clone in an instant. Lesser opponents might have already been defeated by their initial water clone exchanges.
“You’ve got sharp eyes, little monk, and Kakashi lives up to his name, copying my technique so quickly. But this ends now!” Zabuza’s voice echoed through the mist as he attacked Kakashi from behind.
The Zabuza held by Kakashi turned out to be another water clone, with the real Zabuza hiding in the mist. With his chakra restricted by the Sharingan, Kakashi couldn’t use Shadow Clones as liberally. Each clone required a substantial amount of chakra, and Kakashi had to conserve his limited reserves.
Unlike the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, which distributed chakra evenly, a single Shadow Clone split the user’s chakra in half. For Kakashi, dividing his chakra into too many clones weakened his overall combat strength significantly. While Naruto could afford such a tactic due to his vast chakra reserves, Kakashi had to be more strategic.
Zabuza, unburdened by the chakra constraints of the Sharingan, could afford to use more clones without significantly weakening himself.
Leo raised his staff, then lowered it again. While the real Zabuza remained hidden, his movements stirred the air enough for Leo to sense. He could have interrupted Zabuza’s attack with his staff but chose not to, as it didn’t align with his initial plan. He trusted Kakashi’s abilities to handle the situation without his intervention.