On the great bridge, two forces stood locked in a tense standoff. Tazuna had already fled to a safer distance.
The moment he spotted Neji arriving, he rushed over like a loyal pup. In his mind, Neji was far more reliable than anyone else.
Neji, however, paid him no attention. His pale eyes stayed fixed on the battle unfolding atop the bridge.
This time, Zabuza had learned his lesson. He didn't use the Hidden Mist Jutsu. Instead, he was engaging Might Guy in fierce close-quarters combat. But no matter how you looked at it, Guy held the upper hand.
After all, Guy was a true elite jonin, while Zabuza, at best, was just slightly stronger than the average. The gap was clear.
On the other side of the bridge, Tenten and Lee were steadily pressing Haku back.
Despite Haku's Kekkei Genkai, the coordinated onslaught from Lee and Tenten left him with no time to even form hand seals. One-handed or not, it made no difference when you're under relentless attack.
Watching the increasingly one-sided battle, Neji clicked his tongue with mild disappointment.
"I overestimated them."
What had once seemed like a nightmare for Team Seven wasn't proving all that difficult for Team Nine.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
"Burst Shot Barrage!"
Faced with the brutal barrage from Tenten and Lee, Haku could only use a few senbon needles to defend himself.
"Haku!"
Seeing Haku falter, Zabuza immediately split off a water clone to hold off Lee and Tenten temporarily.
Haku took the opportunity to quickly form an unusual hand sign.
"Secret Technique: Demonic Ice Crystal Mirrors."
In an instant, shards of icy mirrors began forming across the bridge, gradually surrounding Lee and Tenten in a glimmering prison of frost.
With calm steps, Haku entered the maze of mirrors.
"What is this?" Lee and Tenten exclaimed in shock.
"It has to be a Kekkei Genkai," Tenten said with a grim expression.
Lee's eyes scanned the reflective walls around him, every surface filled with Haku's face staring back.
"What's that?" Guy paused mid-battle to look toward the shimmering ice dome.
"Ha, Might Guy. Why don't we sit this one out and watch how the kids handle themselves?" Zabuza said with a crooked grin.
In truth, he was rattled. Guy's strength was beyond anything he'd expected. If they kept going, he'd lose for sure.
"No need. I believe in my team. My fiery youth burns brighter than ever!"
"I'm not done yet!"
Without hesitation, Guy charged back in, fists flashing like hammer strikes.
"Hmph. So be it. Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu."
A towering wave surged toward Guy, battering him with the force of a crashing sea.
But Guy just laughed. "Charging into hardship that's the spirit of youth!"
To Zabuza's disbelief, Guy pushed against the current, muscles flexing as he fought his way forward.
"No way. That water pressure is enough to pulverize stone. Just how strong is this guy's body?"
Inside the Demonic Ice Mirrors, Haku's voice echoed from every surface.
"Then let's continue."
All the Haku reflections moved at once, launching a flurry of senbon needles from every angle.
Lee wasn't fazed. His body twisted and flowed like water, catching the senbon mid-air.
Tenten, seizing the moment, unrolled her scrolls and rained down a storm of weapons from every direction. The barrage slammed into the mirrors again and again.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
But none of the weapons could shatter the icy prison. One by one, they fell to the floor, useless.
"What?" Tenten gasped.
The sound of steel clashing against ice echoed across the bridge as Lee and Tenten fought to hold their ground.
"Lee!"
They exchanged a glance. With a burst of energy, Lee launched himself at a mirror and punched it hard.
A crack appeared.
Haku's pupils shrank. That speed and power were beyond what he'd expected.
"It's working, Lee!" Tenten shouted.
Grinning, Lee began moving faster and faster, hammering at the mirrors. The cracks multiplied.
Haku stopped attacking. Staring at his opponents, he spoke quietly.
"For me, giving up all emotions to become a true shinobi is difficult. I don't want to kill you. But to protect that person, I can harden my heart."
"Ice Style: Frozen Crystal Rampart."
"Water Style: A Thousand Flying Water Needles."
The damaged mirrors healed in an instant, becoming clearer and stronger than before.
Then, a barrage of senbon needles exploded outward in a near-spherical burst, shooting out from all directions with deadly precision.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Clang clang clang...
This time, even Lee couldn't keep up. Though he blocked with his kunai, several needles broke through, piercing both him and Tenten.
Inside the mirror prison, cries of pain echoed.
Might Guy wanted to help, but Zabuza kept him locked down.
Zabuza grinned. If those two kids were taken care of, he and Haku together could overwhelm even Might Guy.
But just then, the unexpected happened.
As Haku prepared to deliver the finishing blow, a hand reached into the mirror and yanked him out.
"I believe I warned you," Neji said coolly.
"What?" Everyone was stunned.
"Oh, it's that Byakugan brat again," Zabuza muttered, his eyes flashing with anger.
That kid had humiliated him once. He hadn't forgotten.
"Haku, be careful. This guy is… odd."
"Yes, Zabuza-san."
Haku turned to retreat back into the mirrors.
Whoosh.
Neji blurred forward and intercepted him.
"You really think I'll let you just walk back in there?"
Seeing Neji charge, Haku retreated instinctively. At the same time, the Demonic Ice Mirrors shattered into glimmering fragments.
"I'm not stupid enough to fight you on your own turf, Byakugan."
In the blink of an eye, Neji surged forward like a coiled spring and was on Haku before he could react.
"So fast!"
Haku's heart skipped a beat. He barely managed to use a Water Body Flicker to dodge.
"Palm Sage Art."
A gentle green glow enveloped Neji's hand as he reached toward Haku.
Palm Sage Art wasn't just a healing jutsu it could also numb the target's chakra flow and disrupt their movements.
And it didn't require hand seals.
"What the hell? Why didn't that brat use any hand signs?" Zabuza shouted in disbelief, his face twisting in alarm.
He had never even heard of this jutsu. It was like seeing a ghost.
"Ha ha! That's youth for you, Demon Zabuza. Now let's end this!"
Might Guy suddenly burst forward, moving so fast he turned into a blur.
Zabuza's heart lurched. Sweat beaded on his brow as he raised his Executioner's Blade in defense.
Boom!
A crater opened on the bridge as dust and debris filled the air. The next instant, Zabuza was sent flying, limbs flailing, his body crashing through the air.
Might Guy followed right behind him.
"Lotus!"