Naruto: I Kizaru Took Over Team 7

Over the past few days, Naruto and the others grew increasingly confused about their teacher, Kirito.

While they initially knew that Kirito lacked traditional ninjutsu skills and was a special jonin due to his exceptional physical prowess, they soon discovered that he was far more capable than they thought. Despite not performing ninjutsu, Kirito had a deep understanding of it—at a Kage-level. He could easily resolve their questions with one sentence, increasing their admiration for him.

Kirito didn't just teach ninjutsu; he had them complete C-level missions assigned by the Hokage, but with a twist—they had to rely solely on ninjutsu, not physical abilities. This made the tasks much harder, but the trio improved rapidly. After a week, they completed a mundane task of finding a lost cat, and Naruto, bored, asked for more challenging missions. Kirito agreed and sent them on a C-level mission to the Land of Waves, where they were to escort the bridge-builder Dazna home.

Before they left, Kirito's student Yuhi Kurenai bid him farewell, worried about his safety, but he reassured her. The group set off, with Kirito constantly choosing different routes, which confused Dazna. While Dazna concealed the true danger of the mission, Kirito, knowing the threat, was simply avoiding it. He knew the Mist Ninja assassins would target them, but he hoped to avoid confrontation.

When they neared the Land of Waves, they were blocked by two Mist Ninja assassins. Kirito did not engage but allowed his students to fight, testing their progress. Naruto and the others used their new skills, but they were overpowered by the enemy. Just as Zabuza, one of the assassins, prepared to strike, Kirito appeared to be fatally injured by a large sword, shocking his students. Naruto, devastated, cried out for his teacher, believing he was dead.

But in a shocking twist, Kirito's voice echoed as he revealed he was still alive, scolding his students for their weak showing and motivating them to fight on.

"What?"

Zabuza Momochi's pupils constricted in surprise.

He hadn't expected to miss.

His sword had actually cut through that man's body—or had it been an illusion?

Doubts swirled in Zabuza's mind.

Sasuke's expression shifted as he observed the area where the voice had come from.

The two magatama Sharingan were activated, focusing on the calm figure of the man standing before them.

The tension in Sasuke's face slowly relaxed as he realized the voice had belonged to none other than Kirito.

Sakura, slowly getting up from the ground, wiped the fear from her eyes.

"Teacher Kirito, you scared us half to death!" she exclaimed.

Naruto, brushing off the dust from his body, added with a joyful tear in his eye, "Hmph! I knew Teacher Kirito would be fine, so I wasn't worried at all!"

He shot Sakura a smug look but, despite his words, the tears in his eyes remained.

Naruto had been the closest to Kirito, and he had seen it clearly—the assassin's large knife had cut right through his teacher's body, or rather, it had passed through him. It was as if the attack had no effect at all.

Kirito turned to face Naruto and the others, his expression calm but his brow furrowed slightly.

"Is this the result of your recent training?" he asked, his voice carrying an edge of disappointment.

"A tiger doesn't go easy on a rabbit. Do you really think you can face Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Mist, with such weak skills?"

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura lowered their heads, taking his words to heart. None of them dared to speak.

Zabuza, observing from a distance, was taken aback. The sunglasses-wearing man knew his identity and wasn't intimidated by it at all. He didn't even seem concerned about the situation; he was more focused on lecturing his disciples.

Zabuza's thoughts raced. The intelligence he had gathered said that Kirito had no knowledge of ninjutsu. There was no way he could have used a clone technique to dodge the attack.

So how had he done it?

The questions haunted him. The sneer on his face faded as he narrowed his eyes, now cautious.

"Do you know the Hidden Mist Jutsu?" Zabuza asked.

Kirito smiled faintly. "No."

Zabuza didn't strike immediately. Instead, he stood still, contemplating. His fear of Kirito had risen to its peak, but he still needed to verify what had happened.

If this man had truly avoided his attack without any tricks, then Zabuza, a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, couldn't be seen running away from a fight like this. It would tarnish his reputation forever.

To test his theory, Zabuza activated the Hidden Mist Technique.

The air thickened with fog, obscuring vision in all directions. Within moments, the mist enveloped the entire area, making it nearly impossible to see beyond a few meters.

"The Mist Hiding Technique," Kirito murmured, his voice still calm.

He turned to Naruto. "Naruto, the three of you should stand back to back. Keep Dazna safe and stick to your mission. Don't forget why you're here."

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura quickly assumed the defensive formation, with Dazna protected in the center. Their expressions were tense, preparing for the battle ahead.

Sakura, her voice tinged with concern, asked, "Teacher Kirito, what about you? What will you do?"

Without missing a beat, Kirito's casual response came, "Don't worry about me. He can't touch me. This fight is your responsibility. Don't let me down."

Zabuza, from within the mist, could hear the calmness in Kirito's voice and felt a spike of irritation. He would not be intimidated so easily.

"You're too cocky," Zabuza muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, his figure materialized behind Kirito, and with a swift motion, he swung his massive sword at his opponent.

'Swish!'

Zabuza's sword tore through the fog, and Kirito seemed to be struck.

But Zabuza's eyes widened as the sword passed straight through Kirito's body—there was no resistance. The sensation felt all too real, yet the sword merely passed through him like an illusion. His arm, still holding the weapon, was coated with goosebumps.

He quickly retracted his sword and stepped back, staring at Kirito in disbelief.

Kirito, still calm, turned to face Zabuza.

Zabuza's eyes locked onto the man in sunglasses. Could he see through the mist?

Kirito, unperturbed, smiled faintly.

Zabuza's heart skipped a beat, a chill spreading through him. Something wasn't right.

Without warning, Zabuza rushed toward Naruto and the others.

"Watch out, Naruto! He's coming for you," Kirito called out.

"Stay calm, and use every jutsu you know. Work together to stop him."

The three Genin stood their ground, tightening their kunai and scanning their surroundings, using what little visibility they had.

"I can see him with my Sharingan," Sasuke declared, his two magatama Sharingan flaring as he tracked Zabuza's movements.

Zabuza's blade struck Naruto in the abdomen, knocking the wind out of him. Despite the pain, Naruto swung his kunai, but it found only air.

"To the left!" Sasuke shouted.

Sakura followed his command, throwing a kunai, while Sasuke launched a powerful whip kick.

'Dang!'

'Bang!'

'Bang!'

Each of their attacks was blocked, and both Sakura and Sasuke were sent flying, blood dripping from their wounds.

"This guy is way stronger than us," Sakura said, helpless.

"Don't worry, Sasuke! You're the smart one, think of something!" Naruto urged, frustration in his voice.

Sasuke's mind raced, but every plan seemed futile.

"This mist... we can't see anything. We're trapped."

Naruto's anger boiled, but there was nothing they could do.

Zabuza's mocking voice echoed in the fog. "Do you feel helpless in the face of death? This is a world where the weak don't survive."

As the trio struggled, Kirito, standing by, couldn't help but feel a bit helpless himself. Zabuza's mist was a strong tactic against his students, who were still too inexperienced to handle it.

But Kirito wasn't about to let them stay trapped.

A surge of power radiated from him, and a blinding light filled the air, pushing back the thick mist.

The fog began to dissipate, revealing the battlefield once more.