Chapter 53 – To the Death 1

Sango and the others got closer together, they didn’t distance themselves to fight separately as before. One of the reasons was that the opponents had a high probability of being strong, in that case they couldn’t risk casualties on their part.

As they discussed, the enemy wouldn’t regard the four Gennin as a threat and they would focus their main fighting power on Kurenai.

Sango watched as the enemy closed in on them, Zabuza wasn’t yet making a move, he was cautious despite the supposed gap in strength. They thought Kurenai and her team had no way of seeing their movements in the mist, but they didn’t know there was someone from the Hyuga family and couldn’t imagine there was someone as strange as Sango able to see through the Ninja Art like nothing.

Just after Sango was done with his line of thought, the enemy charged at them. They first action was to try and separate the four Gennin from Kurenai, maybe to use them to put pressure on her.

Sango displayed a struggling play when the man with the armguards began pushing them back, he looked like a true Gennin would look in his place. That, of course, was all an act that Sango and Kurenai came up with.

The four displayed an act of trying to not be separated from their teacher but failing as they struggled to fight the much superior opponent. Kurenai was also trying to close the gab between her and her students, but alas, her opponent pushed her back. Before long, the four Gennin and their opponent disappeared into the thick fog.

“You bastards!” Kurenai managed to let out a frustrated insult worthy of an Oscar for acting. Sango who could hear better than most felt impressed by her.

“Don’t think bad of us. It is Konoha that brought this fate upon you.” Her opponent, the man with a thin sword, righteously said as she stabbed fast as lightning towards her. The thrust pierced her neck only for her image to dissolve into thin air.

A sharp kunai came from behind him, just before it pierced his back the man twisted and dodged.

“Not bad.” He said as he traced the path of the kunai to Kurenai.

So, they fought. For a time neither had the advantage, they exchanged blows after blows without doing any real damage to the other.

Zabuza focused on their fight, he felt something was strange, as if she was only buying time, but for what, he couldn’t tell. “Reinforcements? That can’t be, I’m sure they didn’t communicate with Konohagakure.” So he was sure, Zabuza knew there was something he couldn’t see, but, however he thought about it, he couldn’t guess.

Feeling uneasy, Zabuza decided to end this fast. So, he joined the fight at an opportune moment.

Now Kurenai struggled for real, she had no space to go on the offensive and could only dodge. It was good that her Illusionary Techniques were among the best in Konoha, thanks to that she could hold on for so long.

Her previous enemy, the man with the thin sword, understood that she held back as he saw her movements improving with the masked man’s joining the fight. His temper flared and anger overcame him, that was visible as his movements became fiercer and more reckless.

*Kuh!* A knee from Zabuza threw her against the stone wall, despite her abilities Zabuza was still a difficult opponent even on his own.

As Zabuza followed with a piercing thrust from his sword, Kurenai sank into the stone wall, disappearing from view.

*Tsk* He clicked his tongue in frustration.

He waited and listened, but there was no sound. Then something felt wrong as he couldn’t even hear his subordinate, nor could he feel his presence.

Looking around, he was no longer close to him, he couldn’t understand how that happened without him noticing. Even if he left on his own, Zabuza would have felt that without looking, he was a master in fighting inside the mist, not relaying on his sight to find his targets.