"!"
Inside Gato's estate, the first to react was Momochi Zabuza.
Known as the 'Demon of the Hidden Mist,' Zabuza was especially skilled in assassination techniques. He had once used his 'Silent Killing' technique to assassinate countless important figures, even attempting to kill the Fourth Mizukage himself. As a result, he was extremely sensitive to killing intent.
Even if he couldn't sense Chakra, sometimes killing intent was more obvious than Chakra.
Thud!
Zabuza immediately stood up, lifting the Kubikiribocho onto his back with one hand while his other hand formed a hand seal.
"Zabuza-sama!"
Haku quickly set down his drink and pulled out several senbon.
"..."
"Uh, Zabuza, what happened?"
After a moment of silence, Gato quickly distanced himself from Zabuza, hiding behind a few of his subordinates.
Zabuza gave Gato a disdainful look, but since he was the employer, he still offered an explanation.
"Your enemies are coming."
"Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Technique!"
A thick white mist suddenly began to spread throughout the estate.
"Enemies?"
Gato was a little confused, 'Could it be that those damned lowly peasants had hired Ninjas to kill me?'
"Zabuza, you..."
Bang!
Before Gato could finish speaking, the estate's door was kicked open.
"What is this?"
Izumi, who is leading the charge, immediately noticed the rapidly spreading mist.
"This is the Hidden Mist Technique from Kirigakure."
Tekka, who was following behind Izumi, spoke up. His attitude toward Izumi was one of deep respect. In fact, the entire Uchiha Clan now held Izumi in high regard.
After all, Izumi was the only Uchiha with the Mangekyo Sharingan… Naruto does not count.
"The Hidden Mist Technique? Just burn it away!"
Izumi watched as the mist quickly approached them and reminded her team, "Control your Chakra. Leave them with just enough breath to survive!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Eleven massive fireballs shot toward the mist, evaporating it on contact.
'?'
Zabuza, who was still hidden in the mist, was momentarily stunned. He wanted to curse, 'I hadn't even made my move yet, and you were already unleashing your ultimate technique?'
"Dodge!"
Zabuza shouted at Haku, then used a Body Flicker Technique to grab Gato and move him out of the path of the incoming fireballs.
Boom!
The fireballs exploded at the center of the estate, the intense heat sweeping through the area. The mist was instantly vaporized, leaving behind a group of charred, barely alive subordinates.
Izumi, her three-tomoe Sharingan active, scanned the area but didn't see anyone who resembled Gato.
'!'
Suddenly, Izumi felt a chill and instinctively lowered her head, looking behind her.
A massive sword swept through the space where her neck had just been.
A man with a Kirigakure forehead protector and half his face wrapped in bandages appeared. Her sword was already drawn, and two other Uchiha moved to attack alongside her.
Zabuza was cut into four pieces, turning into a puddle of water.
Izumi sheathed her sword and turned her gaze to a corner of the estate, where three figures stood.
"Uchiha from Konoha, why are you here?"
Zabuza tossed Gato aside and stared intently at Izumi. Although she was the youngest, he immediately sensed that she was the leader of the group. After all, everyone else was dressed in black robes, while she wore white. It wasn't hard to figure out.
"We are not Uchiha from Konoha! Say that again, and I'll kill you!"
Izumi's words, filled with killing intent, sent a shiver through Zabuza and Haku, who were used to the life of assassins. What was more terrifying was the crimson glow in the eyes of the other Uchiha. The two of them didn't even dare to breathe.
One pair of Mangekyo Sharingan and ten pairs of three-tomoe Sharingan. With this lineup, even the Fourth Mizukage would probably crawl out in defeat.
But Zabuza was no ordinary man. He quickly adjusted his attitude, lowering his head slightly and adopting a more submissive tone: "Then, what is your purpose for coming here?"
It wasn't that he wasn't arrogant… he just knew when to pick his battles. If he saw even the slightest chance of winning, he would have already charged in with his sword.
"You don't need to know!"
In that brief moment, Izumi had already assessed their strength, "That boy seems to have some strange abilities. Let's keep him alive for now!"
After saying that, drew her sword and charged straight at Zabuza.
"Damn it!"
Seeing that there was no room for negotiation, Zabuza could only curse under his breath and swing his Kubikiribocho to meet her attack.
Clang!
The massive sword and Izumi's blade collided, producing a long, resonant sound.
They separated after the clash.
"Haku, you leave first..."
Zabuza's eyes widened instantly. The originally dark night had suddenly turned into dusk, and before him was a hill covered in yellow sand, with countless swords embedded in the ground.
Izumi stood atop the hill, with her back to the sun, holding a long sword. In the shadows, all he could see were her crimson eyes.
'Is this... a Genjutsu?'
Zabuza immediately used a technique to dispel Genjutsu, but it had no effect.
Izumi was already charging at him with her sword, forcing Zabuza to raise his blade to block.
Izumi's sword was fast and heavy. The feedback from the Mangekyo Sharingan on her physical abilities was terrifying. Despite only having the strength of a Chunin before, Izumi's Taijutsu was now enough to overwhelm Zabuza, a seasoned Jonin.
The battle between the two ended quickly. With Izumi going all out, she swiftly defeated Zabuza.
When Zabuza reappeared in Gato's estate, there's a gruesome wound extending from his left shoulder to his right abdomen, causing him to collapse to the ground.
He looked around at Haku and Gato, only to find them standing there in a daze, clearly under the control of the Sharingan.
"Heh." Zabuza couldn't help but let out a self-mocking laugh. He had thought this would be a simple mission, but he never expected it to turn into such a disaster.
"The Kubikiribocho, huh?"
Izumi picked up the broken remains of the Kubikiribocho and swung it a few times, finding it unimpressive. It was no match for the sword she currently wielded.
Her sword had been personally manifested by Naruto, costing him a significant amount of Chakra and Ocular Power. While it had no special abilities, it was incredibly durable and sharp, which was why it had cleaved the Kubikiribocho in half with a single strike.
"What exactly are you after?" Zabuza asked through gritted teeth, enduring the pain from his wound.
Izumi ignored him, then handed the broken Kubikiribocho to one of the Uchiha, and said: "Leave a few people here to clean up the scene. Take them all with us. If they resist, kill them."
"Understood."
Two Uchiha moved to support Zabuza, who was too injured to move on his own, while Haku and Gato followed obediently behind. A few other Uchiha began using Fire Release techniques to clean up the area.
Zabuza didn't dare to resist anymore.
On the way back, Izumi and her group coincidentally ran into Inabi and his team, who were escorting the Daimyo of the Land of Waves, who is also under the control of the Sharingan.
The two groups exchanged silent smiles, understanding each other without words.