Naruto: Mikoto and Tsunade, don't let either of them go.

It seems that after hearing what Kakashi said, Kakuzu also filled in some gaps in his own imagination.

At that very moment, a thick fog silently enveloped Kakashi and Kakuzu, and Zabuza's voice came from all directions:

"Kakashi, don't waste your breath on him. I'm prepared. Even if he uses large-scale ninjutsu, he won't be able to disperse the dense fog I've set up. I must complete the mission the master gave me and leave them all here."

Upon hearing Zabuza's words, Kakuzu narrowed his eyes slightly. After scanning his surroundings, he slowly took two steps back, standing between the four Earth Grudge Fear clones. He calmly addressed Kakashi:

“Since that lord has also come here, then I will not disturb him any longer. The money that Kado has spent on this mission to the Land of Waves is far less than the reward for this mission. I, Kakuzu, am not the kind of person who would do a losing business, so I am giving up this mission.”

After Kakuzu finished speaking, he took out a palm-sized mission file from his pocket and threw it directly at Kakashi.

Chapter 401 Abandoning the Mission

Kakashi didn't catch the scroll Kakuzu threw at him, but let it fall to the ground, and said coldly to Kakuzu:

"Since Mr. Kakuzu has decided to abandon this mission, please leave on your own. I will also report Mr. Kakuzu's goodwill to Lord Okayama."

Kakuzu showed no surprise when Kakashi did not take his scroll.

This scroll can be used to create a wide variety of traps, including necromancy, explosive tags, poison smoke, and poison.

Kakashi was facing a seasoned Kage-level peak fighter, so he couldn't be too careful.

Now that he had already shown that he was abandoning the mission and had even handed over the mission scroll, Kakuzu naturally wouldn't linger here any longer.

After nodding to Kakashi, he activated one of his clones and used a ninjutsu in the direction Hidan had left.

Wind Release - Pressure Damage

As Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear clone used this ninjutsu, it blew a passage through the thick white mist.

Of course, this was also because Zabuza, who was hidden in the thick fog, did not interfere much and even actively dispersed the chakra in the fog, which allowed Kakuzu to use Wind Release to blow out a passage so easily.

Seeing this, Kakuzu did not linger and ran with his clones toward their companions.

Kakashi and Zabuza were naturally worried about Kakuzu, fearing he might accidentally harm the six Konoha kids or Haku, so they stayed a short distance behind him.

When Kakuzu quickly arrived around Hidan, he found that Hidan had fallen into a complete disadvantage. Not only had Hidan thrown his scythe aside, but one of his arms was also frozen in a huge block of ice.

Because Kakuzu arrived carrying the residual power of Wind Release, and also possessed four exceptionally conspicuous clones.

So when he arrived, he was spotted by Hidan, who was covered in blood and shouting wildly.

Upon seeing Kakuzu and his numerous clones, Hidan's eyes lit up, and he laughed heartily:

"Boss Kakuzu, have you dealt with that Kakashi yet? Come and help me take care of these brats too. I'm going to cut off their arms and send them to meet the Jashin-sama while they wail."

Kakuzu had no interest in dealing with Hidan at this moment. Under the watchful eyes of the surrounding crowd, he directly fired a black thread of earth grudge from the joint of his arm, tightly binding the still somewhat bewildered Hidan.

As Kakuzu and his clones ran in an unobstructed direction, he said in a low voice:

"This mission has been cancelled. There's no need for us to fight these Konoha ninjas head-on. Let's retreat first."

Hidan, who had already been bound and dragged a distance by Kakuzu, finally understood what was happening after hearing Kakuzu's words. Like a large fish pulled ashore, he twisted his body and shouted:

"No, I've been wronged this time. I must kill them, kill them!"

However, Kakuzu ignored Hidan and continued to drag Hidan away at the same speed.

But when Hidan saw that Kakuzu was serious, he immediately changed his tune, twisting his body as he shouted:

"Boss Kakuzu, Boss Kakuzu, I haven't gotten my arm or my weapon back yet. My scythe was given to me by the evil god, I can't leave it here."

Upon hearing Hidan's words, Kakuzu was slightly taken aback. One of his clones quickly returned and, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, extended a thread to pull the Grim Reaper's scythe towards him.

As for the arm frozen in the giant block of ice, Kakuzu's clone glanced at it and immediately gave up, dragging the Grim Reaper's scythe as it chased after his main body.

Just then, Sasuke, who had been on guard, saw that the two uninvited guests were really preparing to retreat. He gritted his teeth, somewhat unwillingly, and his Lightning Release armor shone brightly as he prepared to chase after them and continue the battle.

"Sasuke, don't be impulsive."

Upon seeing Sasuke's actions, Kakashi, who had caught up, immediately shouted in a deep voice.

Upon hearing Kakashi's shout, Sasuke immediately stopped in his tracks. After glancing reluctantly at the backs of Kakuzu and the others, he lowered his head.

After seeing Sasuke's actions, Naruto shouted to Kakashi:

"Kakashi-sensei, they are enemies who have come to invade the Land of Waves. We already have the upper hand, so why don't we pursue them?"

Chapter 402: What's to come?

Hearing Naruto's words, Kakashi frowned slightly and said in a serious tone:

"Sasuke, Naruto, now that the enemy has abandoned their mission, we have no reason to keep chasing them."

Moreover, the enemy merely abandoned their mission, not lost their fighting capacity. These two enemies are extremely difficult to deal with; capturing them would be impossible without paying a heavy price.

After Kakashi finished speaking, seeing Naruto's still unconvinced expression, he glanced around at the surroundings and continued:

"Moreover, this enemy is skilled in large-scale ninjutsu. If a full-scale battle really breaks out, the bridge that Tazin and the villagers of the Land of Waves have worked so hard to complete may be destroyed."

You should also know that this bridge represents the hope of the villagers of the Land of Waves. Do you truly have the resolve to defeat the enemy even if it means destroying this bridge?

Upon hearing Kakashi's words, Naruto fell silent. Having spent some time in the Land of Waves, he naturally understood the significance of this bridge to them.

If this bridge were to be destroyed, given the villagers' determination and their living conditions, they would likely be plunged into utter despair.

Seeing this, Kakashi reached out and patted Naruto on the shoulder, comforting him:

"Naruto, I know you are very strong now, but there are some things that cannot be solved simply by being strong."

Just then, the thick fog beside them finally dissipated, revealing Zabuza, who had been hiding within.

Zabuza had already put his Executioner's Blade back behind him. After hearing Kakashi's words, he spoke:

"You blond brat, don't believe Kakashi's words. What do you mean by being strong can't solve any problems? That's because you're not strong enough. Only when you're strong enough can you solve all the problems."

"Hey kid, ask Kakashi. If you had the same strength as my master, could you take care of those two guys without damaging the bridge?"

At this point, Zabuza paused, his brow furrowed slightly, and continued:

"It's just like the grand principles that the Third Hokage was spouting. Not only is it awkward, but it's also long and tedious. You little brat, you're a genius kid that my master has his eye on. Don't let that useless stuff brainwash you."

Upon hearing Zabuza's words, Naruto immediately looked at Kakashi. Although he had always known that the kind old man was strong, he didn't know exactly how strong he was, so he wanted to find out from Kakashi-sensei.

Not only Naruto, but also Sasuke next to him, as well as the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Karin Uzumaki around him, all looked at Kakashi, wanting to see what he would say.

Seeing this, Kakashi's forehead was covered in fine sweat. He had been in contact with that Lord Qiushan before, and naturally knew that with Lord Qiushan's strength, solving these problems would be a piece of cake.

Even if they get carried away in the heat of battle and accidentally destroy the bridge, with the master's powerful Wood Release, rebuilding the bridge would be a piece of cake.

"Well, what I'm talking about naturally doesn't include Lord Qiu Shan. With your strength, resolving this matter would be quite easy."

There was no other way; almost everyone present had a close relationship with Lord Qiushan, and if he were to speak carelessly, he would really have no desire to live.

As soon as Kakashi finished speaking, an ice mirror suddenly appeared beside him.

After the ice mirror appeared, Haku stepped out from it, holding an ice blade. His icy gaze swept over Kakashi before he ran off in one direction.

Ok?

Kakashi felt terrible after being glanced at by Haku.

Well, he was absolutely certain that if he had spoken ill of that person just now, he wouldn't even need to wait for the person to find out; Haku and Zabuza, who were present, would have already killed him on the spot.

"Huh? Why did Sister Bai leave? I haven't said goodbye to her yet."

Naruto only realized what was happening when he saw Haku's figure getting further and further away and then exclaimed in surprise.

Because Naruto often trained with Sasuke at Uchiha Hill, he had seen Haku a few times.

Although the two didn't interact much, they got along exceptionally well. In Naruto's memory, Haku had always been a gentle older sister.

While Kakashi was still feeling lingering fear, Zabuza, seeing the direction Haku had headed, couldn't contain his excitement any longer.

"Since the enemy has abandoned their mission, my mission is complete. I won't stay any longer. Kakashi, goodbye."

After saying this, Zabuza took his leave and left.

But before leaving, he left one last sentence that lingered in the air:

"Kakashi, your chakra is running low. If you don't replenish your chakra in time, I don't know if you'll be easily killed by the enemy. That would be such a pity."

Upon hearing Zabuza's words, Kakashi's face darkened, but he quickly formed a few hand seals and then gently tapped them next to his Sharingan.

"Sealing Technique - Four Symbols Black Tortoise Sealing"

With a light tap of Kakashi's finger, numerous sealing characters, each the size of a grain of rice, were activated near his Sharingan, constantly flashing on and off.

As Kakashi activated the seal, the Sharingan in his left eye slowly closed, eventually turning into a normal black eye.

Kakashi's transplanted Sharingan has always been a major consumer of chakra, especially since he has just awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan.

This caused Kakashi's chakra to decrease rapidly. If it weren't for Zabuza and Haku's support, Kakashi and the six little ones alone wouldn't have been able to contend with Kakuzu at full power and Hidan, who was immortal.

After sealing the Sharingan, Kakashi coughed twice before speaking to Naruto and the others beside him:

“Since even the Akatsuki’s immortal duo has given up on this mission, there shouldn’t be any troublesome characters on Gato’s side. At most, there will be some wandering samurai and good-for-nothing wandering ninjas. These guys are your two teams to deal with.”

At this point, Kakashi coughed again, glanced at the six little ones, and said with a smile:

"Naruto, Sasuke, you two need to perform well this time. Don't be impulsive, and listen to Shikamaru's advice."

Karin, you'll be in charge of logistics. Make sure you're safe before using medical ninjutsu to heal them. Understand?

Kakashi was also showing signs of weakness, a rare occurrence for him. Seeing this, the others exchanged glances and then nodded in agreement.

Karin then came to Kakashi's side and used a medical ninjutsu on him.

Chapter 403 The Part-Time Job of Bai

unnamed island

Uchiha Kakuyama yawned lazily, looked up at the direction of the bridge, and muttered to himself:

"Looks like the fight is over. Kakashi is still a bit weak."

Although Uchiha Kakuyama couldn't see what was happening on the bridge from his island location, he was able to sense what was going on using his sensory abilities.

He can accurately know the state of each person through his perception, and if they are really in a critical situation, he can save the day by using space-time ninjutsu.

Therefore, when Kakashi was somewhat weak, Uchiha Kakuyama naturally sensed it, which is why he made such a remark.

In truth, he had always maintained a laissez-faire attitude towards Kakuzu and Hidan. After all, Kakuzu and Hidan were both members of the Akatsuki organization, especially Kakuzu, who was considered a diligent and honest person who made money steadily within the Akatsuki.

Because Konan of the Akatsuki is now his person, and the other two are Yahiko, whom he resurrected, and Nagato, who regards Yahiko as his elder brother and is now preparing to return the position of Akatsuki leader to Yahiko. He has a very close relationship with them.

Therefore, it can even be said that Uchiha Kakuzan is half a leader of the Akatsuki organization. He couldn't very well kill Kakuzu and Hidan directly, as it would be somewhat awkward if Konan and Yahiko asked him about it.

Kakashi's performance this time was not very satisfactory. Although he had picked up the Hatake sword technique he had practiced since childhood, his strength had not increased explosively because of the short time he had practiced. Therefore, Uchiha Kakuzan planned to give Kakashi a grueling training program after he returned. Kakashi is still very young and it is the time for him to work hard.

Just as Uchiha Kazuyama was thinking about training Kakashi to become his powerful henchman in the future, Kushina, who was grilling fish nearby, took the cooked fish off the fire, carefully tore off a piece, tasted it, and then her eyes lit up. She grinned and went to Uchiha Kazuyama's side, tore off the best piece of fish, blew on it twice, and then brought it to his mouth.

"Kiu Shan-kun, you should try this. The grilled fish I made this time is pretty good. It's almost as good as Mikoto-nee's."

Hearing Kushina's words, Uchiha Kakuzan also came to his senses, opened his mouth and ate the fish meat that was fed to him. He tasted it carefully, and looked at Kushina next to him with some surprise. He gave her a thumbs up to show his appreciation.

After seeing Qiushan-kun's performance, Kushina laughed happily, then tore off another piece of fish and brought it over.

Meanwhile, sitting by the campfire, Uchiha Mikoto smiled gently after seeing Kushina's performance. She then turned the grilled fish over the fire and carefully and evenly sprinkled the seasoning on it.

Just then, not far from Uchiha Hill, a life-sized ice mirror suddenly appeared, and a delicate figure stepped out from it.

After appearing, this figure knelt down before Uchiha Kakuyama, bowed his head, and said:

"My lord, Bai has completed his mission and is here to report."

Uchiha Kakuzan was not surprised at all by Haku's appearance. He changed from a lying position to a seated posture with his sword drawn, and looking at the person in front of him, he said with some emotion:

"Bai, your Ice Release technique is getting better and better. It seems that your strength is quite good among Kage-level characters."

Bloodline limits inherently provide a significant boost to one's strength, let alone a powerful bloodline limit like Ice Release. As long as it's not in an environment where it's countered, such as a scorching desert, it possesses an overwhelming advantage.

Whether it's attacking or escaping, it has a great advantage, and even in terms of sealing, it has unique features.

Upon hearing Lord Qiushan's words, Bai's eyes flashed with joy, and a smile appeared on his usually calm face.

However, she was looking down at the time, so no one noticed.

"It is all thanks to Lord Qiushan's training that I am who I am today. Moreover, my strength is like the difference between an infant and a giant in front of Lord Qiushan. It is not worth mentioning at all."

Upon hearing Haku's words, Uchiha Kakuyama rubbed his forehead in exasperation.

This guy is great in every way; whether it's his ability or his intelligence, he's a top choice.

However, perhaps because he had rescued her when she was at her most desperate, Haku always treated him with great respect, which made Uchiha Kakuyama somewhat uncomfortable.

Looking at the white figure before him, Uchiha Kakuyama waved his hand and casually said: