Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 385 The Strength of a Jonin from the Land of Stars
On the bridge, the visibility was reduced to less than ten meters due to the thick fog.

The air was damp, cold, and sticky; every breath carried a heavy weight of moisture.

Jiraiya, young Sasuke, and Naruto stood in an area where the fog was relatively thin, listening intently to the sounds of intense fighting coming from within the fog.

Jiraiya turned his head and whispered to the young Sasuke beside him, "Hey, 'Sasuke,' keep an eye on Naruto and don't let him run around. I'm going in to help Kakashi."

However, young Sasuke slowly shook his head: "No need. If the opponent is only Zabuza Momochi, Kakashi's strength is enough to handle him. If we intervene rashly, it may disrupt his rhythm."

He still remembers that life-or-death battle, when he and Naruto were held back by Haku, while Kakashi-sensei single-handedly defeated Zabuza.

Upon hearing this, Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, about to say something, when suddenly, both of them tensed up, keenly sensing that another powerful chakra was rapidly approaching and had unabashedly stepped into the dense fog!
"Who?!" Naruto heard footsteps too, gripped his kunai tightly, and turned to look in the other direction of the bridge.

Heavy footsteps approached from afar, accompanied by the sickening scraping sound of metal scraping against the ground.

The thick fog seemed to be parted by an invisible force, and a tall, imposing figure gradually became clear.

The newcomer was dressed in a blue-gray uniform, with a tall and straight figure like a pine tree, and his short silver hair appeared somewhat hazy in the mist.

Most striking features were the headband he wore, bearing a five-pointed star emblem, and the enormous broadsword he dragged in his hand!

The broadsword had a thick blade with a circle near the edge, its edge gleaming coldly. It left a clear, shallow mark on the rough bridge surface, emitting a continuous, low scraping sound.

The young Sasuke and Jiraiya's expressions instantly turned serious!
Jiraiya had been traveling in the Land of Stars for more than two years, so he naturally recognized this outfit and that headband!

How could ninjas from the Land of Stars appear in the remote Land of Waves?

And at this sensitive time?
Young Sasuke's doubts deepened.

He had never seen that headband emblem before, and it clearly did not belong to any ninja village faction he remembered.

But what bothered him even more was the exaggeratedly shaped greatsword in the other's hand, which was clearly the guillotine that should have belonged to Momochi Zabuza!

How did it end up in the hands of this strange ninja?
"Hey! You...you're an enemy too?!" Naruto, though intimidated by the other's aura, mustered his courage, held a kunai across his chest, and loudly questioned him.

The tall, silver-haired ninja stopped in his tracks, seemingly only then noticing the three men waiting in ambush by the bridge.

He raised his free left hand, scratched the back of his head, smiled, and said in a loud voice, "Don't be nervous, gentlemen. I am Yoshinobu Itada, a Jonin from the Land of Stars. I am here to help Mr. Tazuna's family, not as an enemy."

"A Jonin from the Land of Stars? Helping out?" Naruto paused, looking at Jiraiya with a puzzled expression.

Jiraiya's face instantly broke into a slightly cynical smile. He patted Naruto's head and laughed, "So you're one of us! That's good, that's good! Naruto, put your kunai away. Be polite to your friends!"

Jiraiya guessed it; it was probably related to the upcoming Chunin Exams.

At the same time, he quickly gave young Sasuke a look that said, "Let's wait and see."

Although Naruto was still somewhat skeptical, he put away his kunai as instructed and curiously examined Ita-suke, especially his enormous, seemingly super heavy weapon.

This was the first time he had seen ninjas from other villages up close...

Drabuchi dragged his Executioner's Blade and strode steadily through the three men. His gaze fell upon the area deep within the thick fog where chakra clashed most fiercely, and his tone carried a hint of eager battle intent: "The enemy inside is Zabuza Momochi, a rogue ninja from Kirigakure, known as the 'Demon,' right?"

Jiraiya crossed his arms and looked at Ita-suke with great interest, especially at the Executioner's Blade in Ita-suke's hand. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he said in a casual tone, "Oh? Speaking of which, I seem to have heard that the four ninja swords of your Star Country originally belonged to Kirigakure, right?"

'Four ninja swords?' The young Sasuke standing to the side had a sudden thought.

In his timeline, although the members of the famous "Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist" of Kirigakure changed, the seven swords were still basically under Kirigakure's control.

How could this Star Country actually manage to seize four ninja swords from Kirigakure?

This force's strength and modus operandi seem to be far more powerful than he imagined.

Itada Suke didn't take Jiraiya's teasing to heart, simply nodding frankly in acknowledgment: "That's true. Ninja swords are an important part of a ninja's strength; the capable should be chosen. I've heard that Momochi Zabuza was a strong candidate for the Ninja Swordsmen before his defection, and his strength is considerable. Since we've run into each other today, I'd like to have a match with him!"

His gaze returned to the thick fog, his fighting spirit rising: "Then, gentlemen, I'll take over the battle inside. Please wait here for a moment."

Jiraiya made a "please go ahead" gesture and said with a smile, "Alright, this is a good opportunity for us to broaden our horizons and see the demeanor of the Jonin of the Land of Stars."

Without another word, Itada took a deep breath, pushed off with his feet, and his figure transformed into a blurry gray shadow, charging into the thick fog zone at the heart of the battle with an indomitable momentum!
At this moment, in the heart of the dense fog, the battle between Kakashi and Zabuza had reached a critical juncture!

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

Zabuza rapidly formed hand seals!
A massive amount of chakra condensed into water around him, boiling violently. A ferocious, enormous water dragon rose up and took shape in the mist, letting out a roar as it pounced towards Kakashi!

This is a B-rank ninjutsu in Water Release, which requires extremely high chakra reserves and hand seal precision, and also reflects Zabuza's profound background as an elite Jonin.

However, Kakashi remained unusually calm in the face of this ferocious attack.

He had already pulled up the headband covering his left eye, revealing his three-tomoe Sharingan!

The Sharingan's powerful dynamic vision and copying ability clearly imprinted Zabuza's incredibly complex hand seal process!

“Sharingan… Hmph!” Zabuza sneered inwardly. He had heard of the Sharingan’s abilities, but he didn’t entirely believe that the other party could perfectly replicate such a complex technique.

But the next moment, something happened that made his pupils shrink!

Kakashi's hands completed the same forty-four hand seals with speed that was in no way inferior to his, and even more fluidly and precisely!
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

A water dragon, no less powerful or imposing than Kakashi, shot into the sky from around him, letting out a deafening roar, fearlessly meeting Zabuza's water dragon head-on!
Boom——! ! !
Two enormous water dragons collided violently in mid-air!

A terrifying chakra shockwave spread outwards, instantly clearing away a large area of ​​the surrounding thick fog!

Water poured down like a torrential rain, and the entire bridge surface shook violently!
"How is this possible?! It can even copy this kind of technique..." Zabuza was shocked. The Sharingan's copying ability was terrifying!
In the instant his mind was shaken, a sudden change occurred!
A tall and imposing figure, like a warship cutting through the waves, charged straight towards them at an astonishing speed, breaking through the spray of water!

The target is Zabuza!
"Who goes there?!" Zabuza reacted quickly, remaining calm despite his surprise, and immediately swung his ninja sword to parry!

clang--! ! !
Sparks flew everywhere, and a deafening clang of metal rang out!

Zabuza felt an overwhelming force coming from the sword, which made his hands go numb and his arms ache. He slid backward several meters before he could barely regain his balance!

Upon closer inspection, he saw that the attacker was a silver-haired ninja he had never seen before, and the menacing-looking large sword in the attacker's hand made his gaze freeze.

A decapitation sword?!
Almost at the same time, Kakashi also saw who it was, and a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.

But then, Jiraiya, young Sasuke, and Naruto emerged from the mist, and Jiraiya's voice rang out at the right moment: "Kakashi, this is Mr. Ita-suke, a Jonin from the Land of Stars. He's here to help us."

"A Jonin from the Land of Stars?" Kakashi felt a slight sense of relief, but he didn't completely let his guard down, his Sharingan still locked onto the two people in the arena.

Zabuza licked his dry lips, a glint of greed and violence flashing in his eyes. He stared at the guillotine in Ita's hand and chuckled hoarsely, "Tsk... the guillotine... this is the treasure I've always dreamed of! I didn't expect you to deliver it to my doorstep today, perfect..."

He hadn't finished speaking—

Click!

A soft yet distinct cracking sound came from the ninja sword in Zabuza's hand!
Zabuza looked down and his face instantly turned extremely ugly!

The exquisite ninja sword he had commissioned from a craftsman in the Land of Iron, known for its toughness, developed a clear crack on its blade during a head-on clash with the opponent's Executioner's Blade!

And the crack is spreading rapidly!
Itada gave him no chance to breathe, his arm muscles bulging, and the Executioner's Blade, carrying an even heavier pressure, slammed down again!

The blade's momentum was like Mount Tai pressing down, unstoppable! Zabuza's ninja sword could no longer withstand this terrifying power and snapped in two!

The broken blade spun out and flew away, embedding itself deeply into the nearby bridge pier with a loud thud!

Zabuza was both shocked and furious, and retreated hastily in an attempt to create distance.

Itada Suke pressed his advantage, brandishing his guillotine with incredible speed despite its seemingly clumsy movements!

"Hidden Mist Technique!" Zabuza was both shocked and furious. He quickly formed hand seals, and the surrounding fog instantly became even thicker, greatly obstructing his vision and senses.

His figure also blended into the thick fog and disappeared, leaving only his murderous voice coming from all directions: "You brat from the Land of Stars... let me, your great master, weigh you and see if you are worthy of this sword!"

Faced with this even more perilous environment, Itada made an unexpected move.

He held the decapitation sword horizontally in front of him, adopting a defensive stance as steady as a rock, and then slowly closed his eyes!
"What is he doing?" Naruto, who was watching the battle, couldn't help but exclaim.

"Look closely!" the young Sasuke whispered.

Kakashi and Jiraiya also showed thoughtful expressions.

The ninjas of the Land of Stars seem to have a unique method for dealing with the Hidden Mist Technique.

Even Zabuza felt a little surprised in the thick fog, but he wouldn't let any opportunity slip by.

"Water Clone Technique!" He secretly formed a hand seal, and a water clone that was almost identical to his original body silently condensed and attacked from Ita-suke's left side, its kunai aimed straight for his back!
Zabuza's true form launched a truly fatal attack from a blind spot on his right!
The blade flashed fiercely, aimed straight for the neck!

However, just as the two Zabuza attacks were about to hit him!
Itada Suke suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes!

His eyes flashed with a sharp light!

He seemed to have known everything all along, and casually swung the decapitation sword in his hand to the left!
Clang!
The kunai in the water clone's hand was easily deflected, and the immense force directly shattered the water clone into a puddle of water.

Almost simultaneously, Itada twisted his waist, and using the force of deflecting the water clones, the Executioner's Blade drew a perfect arc, slashing back at Zabuza's main body, which was attacking from the right, with even greater speed and power!
This sudden change of tactics was as swift as lightning, and perfectly executed!

"What?!" Zabuza's true form was shocked!

He never expected that the other party, with their eyes closed, could not only accurately distinguish between truth and falsehood, but also launch such a swift and precise counterattack!
In the rush, he could only use his half-broken ninja sword to block the attack!

clang--

Click! !
The decapitation sword struck the broken blade without any fancy moves!

How could that ninja sword, already riddled with cracks, withstand such a long-prepared attack, with both power and speed at their peak?
It shattered completely in an instant!

Broken metal fragments flew everywhere!

"Damn brat!" Zabuza was both shocked and furious. He slammed the hilt of his remaining sword into Ita's face, trying to distract the other's vision, while simultaneously retreating rapidly, attempting to disappear into the mist once more.

But Itada's reaction was even faster!
He slightly tilted his head, easily dodging the flying knife hilt, and then pushed off with his foot!
The bridge trembled slightly, and his body transformed into a silver lightning bolt that streaked along the ground, instantly catching up with Zabuza as he retreated!

The decapitation blade swept in once more with a piercing sound!

The battle instantly turned into the most dangerous and direct duel of physical and sword skills!
Having lost his weapon, Zabuza could only use kunai and rely on his rich experience and agile movements to dodge and parry in a sorry state, completely falling into a passive and defensive situation!

Itada's swordsmanship was wide and powerful, each strike containing the power to shatter mountains and split rocks, forcing Zabuza to retreat step by step and into perilous situations!
At the edge of the battlefield, the four spectators had different expressions.

"This guy... his strength is quite impressive." Jiraiya stroked his chin, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

Itada's strength, speed, and grasp of the situation are all among the best of the Jonin.

“Hmm…” Kakashi nodded, his Sharingan closely following Idasuke’s movements, analyzing his techniques: “The ‘Ninja Sword Tournament’ held in the Land of Stars in recent years is very famous. Idasuke’s ability to successfully defend his title for two consecutive years shows that his strength should not be underestimated.”

"His physical skills and swordsmanship seem to combine the characteristics of multiple schools, forming a unique style that is both practical and... domineering."

As the former captain of the Anbu of Konoha, he had access to information on powerful ninjas from various villages.

The young Sasuke remained silent, but the Rinnegan hidden beneath his slanted bangs gleamed with a solemn light.

Itada's fighting style is ruthless and efficient, carrying a pure killing intent forged in blood and fire, unlike any other ninja style he has ever seen.

What kind of place is the Land of Stars?
"Wow, that's amazing!" Naruto exclaimed in disbelief.

In the arena, Zabuza was caught off guard and the Akatsuki's black robe with red cloud patterns was ripped open by the blade of the Executioner's Blade, and blood gushed out instantly, staining his clothes red.

The flowing blood, as if drawn by some force, gathered in strands towards the blade of the decapitation sword!

As the blood was absorbed, Zabuza's face turned pale at a visible speed, and his movements became noticeably slower and weaker!

However, Itada's offensive became increasingly fierce and violent, like a storm, giving his opponent no chance to breathe!

Zabuza grew increasingly terrified as the fight progressed!
He called himself a "Demon," having experienced countless fierce battles throughout his life. Even when facing a powerful ninja like the Fourth Mizukage, he was able to put up a fight. How could he have ever been so suppressed and reduced to this state by a young man who looked to be less than twenty years old?!
The opponent's swordsmanship was fierce and unparalleled, with astonishing strength. What was even more terrifying was the insight that seemed to predict all his movements! It was as if he had been specially trained in the art of concealing mist!
This doesn't feel like a fight; it feels more like being toyed with!
"This can't go on!" A fierce glint flashed in Zabuza's eyes. He leaped back several meters and disappeared into the thick fog once more.

Hands rapidly form hand seals!
"Water Body Technique!"

Two lifelike water clones burst out of the mist, lunging at Ita-suke from the left and right, attempting to harass him.

His true form, however, was hidden in the mist, gathering chakra in preparation for unleashing his strongest water-style ninjutsu in a final desperate attempt!
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

The enormous water dragon condensed once more, roaring as it charged toward Ita, who had just dealt with two water clones, fueled by Zabuza's fury!

However, faced with this incredibly powerful attack, Ida Suke did not retreat; instead, he took a step forward!
He gripped the hilt of the decapitation sword tightly with both hands and let out a low shout!
Blinding blue arcs of electricity instantly erupted from the meridians of his arms and legs!

It made a crackling sound!
His muscles bulged slightly, and his speed suddenly surged!
He transformed into a streak of lightning, advancing instead of retreating, charging headlong into the massive water dragon!

"What?! Withstood a water dragon bullet?!" The onlookers were all shocked!
"Hah!" Itadasuke roared, raising the Executioner's Blade high, its blade crackling with violent lightning!

He actually imbued the Executioner's Blade with Lightning Release chakra!
He cleaved the roaring faucet head down with a fierce blow!

"Break!"

boom--! ! !
The decapitation blade, crackling with lightning, sliced ​​the powerful water dragon in two with ease, as easily as a hot knife through butter!
The water that had been split open rushed to both sides, revealing Zabuza behind them, whose chakra circulation had been momentarily stagnant due to the use of a large-scale ninjutsu, and whose face showed a look of horror!
"Impossible!!" Zabuza's pupils reflected the lightning figure that had broken through the water dragon and was rushing towards him with unparalleled power!
He deliberately concealed his strength just now?!
That terrifying speed and explosive power...

Itada's eyes were cold. Seizing this fleeting opportunity, the guillotine blade, with a piercing shriek that tore through the air, mercilessly slashed towards Zabuza's neck!
Pfft——!
Blood spurts out!
The blade of the Executioner's Blade was deeply embedded in Zabuza's right shoulder collarbone, almost splitting half of his shoulder open!

"Cough..." Zabuza suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the bandages on his face crimson.

He struggled to lift his head, looking at Idasuke with disbelief and humiliation in his eyes: "You...you just now...were deliberately feigning weakness...luring me to use...a large-scale ninjutsu..."

Looking down at Zabuza from his high position, Itada slowly pulled the Executioner's Blade from Zabuza's shoulder, leaving a trail of blood.

“When facing an opponent like ‘Demon’ Zabuza Momochi, any carelessness could be fatal. Caution is the first rule for a ninja’s survival.”

After saying that, he stopped looking at the dying Zabuza, sheathed his sword, and retreated.

Losing his support, Zabuza, his face covered in blood, lost his sparkle and fell backward into a pool of blood.

The thick fog began to slowly dissipate.

(End of this chapter)