Zabuza's S.Adventures 34 (Patreon)

Zabuza’s S.Adventures
Chapter 34

-VB-

To Zabuza’s surprise, it happened faster than he expected, which would have been no more than two days’ journey from Konohagakure itself.

Just as planned, when they were only one day’s journey from Konohagakure, they got ambushed.

Zabuza felt the attack coming even before he heard the first sound.

A bloodlust like that was not easy to hide, after all.

He grabbed the back shirt of the three “genins” and tossed them away before jumping away himself.

Mere seconds later, something whistled onto the spot they were just walking towards and exploded.

“Holy shit!”

Yes, holy shit.

He landed and pulled Kubikirobucho from around his back and sent it flying into the dense dust cloud towards the still leaking bloodlust.

The whirling hisses of his blade cutting through the dust cloud and leaving behind a vacuum to be filled momentarily revealed what was on the other side… but as his sword came back, Zabuza knew that they were being ambushed, yes, but it was a long-range one.

Normally, such an “ambush” would not work, but considering that he saw a crater where that first attack had landed, they must have both confidence and “firepower” to back it up.

“This is going to suck,” he growled with a scowl as he gestured for the trio to not summon anyone right now. As Kubikiribucho came back around, he snapped it out of the air. “Move it! We have to get to the village!”

They broke into a run.

Into the forest around them.

The reason for this was simply that in the forest, a long-range attack was not only hard to hit but also the environment made it harder for the enemy to find them in the first place.

A smart attacker would leave them alone, having failed.

A desperate or stupid attacker, however, would not stop.

If they lacked the power, then they would chase, which would make Konoha’s counter-ambush easier.

As Zabuza heard more whistles, he knew that it wouldn’t be anything but easy.

The forest around them exploded, and splinters of exploded trees and their barks flew everywhere.

“Keep moving!” he roared over the explosions as the forest began to disappear behind and around them.

He flinched between jumps as splinters peppered his face, but thankfully, he had his usual bandage covering half of his face.

Half-blind, he pushed on as did the “genins.”

Then he heard something different.

It was bigger.

He grinned as he skidded to a halt and whirled around.

He saw something high up in the sky through the gaps in the once thick canopies of the Land of Fire’s forest.

It looked like a bird?

No, it was a man.

It was-!

“Tobi found them, senpai!”

He looked down.

There was a guy with a swirling mask wearing a black robe with red clouds.

Who the fuck was this?

“Tobi found them, Tobi found them, Tobi found them, Tobi found them-!”

An enemy. Yes. His name was Tobi, apparently.

Zabuza launched forward and swung at this seemingly exposed and open ninja, but he knew better than to fall for something like that.

So as he swung his sword, he summoned a water clone behind him and let it follow up with another attack.

The guy did nothing.

Did nothing.

And then when he swung down to cleave him in half, expecting a switch, he just phased through?!

Zabuza momentarily tumbled through the air before he righted himself before he landed on a tree trunk, and his water clone followed up on his attack with a water blade.

The guy was not expecting the attack and got cut on his shoulder, but then the rest of the attack phased through as well. He dispersed the clone before its attack would reach him and charged right through the splash of water his water clone had become.

“Mah mah, Tobi wasn’t expecting that!”

Whistles rang out again, and whoever was flying up above bombarded the “genins” who easily dodged out of the way, now that they knew what kind of telltale sign to look for. But they left behind Earth and Shadow Clones to make it seem like they got caught in the attack, including an illusion of Naruko.

“You idiot, Tobi!”

The bombarding partner came down and landed right next to the Tobi guy.

“Senpai, you blew them up! The Great and Supreme Leader wanted them alive!”

And this was the perfect time to start their own counter-ambush.

The hidden jounins all took off their illusions and took out the summoning scrolls.

“So can I have your name at least?” Zabuza asked, never having once taken his eyes off of the enemies in front of him.

The second enemy, a blonde man wearing the same robe, harrumphed. “You’re going to die anyway, so what does it-?”

He dodged the attack almost too late, but he did.

He whirled around and glared.

From the dark forest, Konohagakure’s ninjas stepped out. A full dozen jounins stood around them.

“Oh no, senpai! This is … an ambush-ambush!”

Honestly, Zabuza kind of felt pity for the blonde guy. It must suck to deal with bullshit like this guy.

What did he -.

His eyes narrowed.

What could this “Tobi” do that he was allowed into the ranks of S-rank mercenaries and missing-nin?

Jounin Sarutobi tossed his cigarette away. “Deidara of Iwagakure. I’m surprised to see you here.”

Now named Deidara scoffed. “Whatever. Mission failed! I’ll see you back at rendezvous, Tobi. Kai!”

Zabuza’s eyes widened as the missing-nin swelled like a balloon before-.

“SHIT!”

BOOM!

Zabuza grunted as he slid his sword back from where he’d planted to use as a shield, and the rest of the jounins looked like they also made it out of the last ditch attack by a clone.

“... Senpai left me here!”

As the dust cloud cleared, “Tobi” was still here.

“... Surrender.”

“T-Tobi doesn’t like the look in your eyes, goatee beard man.”

Someone sputtered and then Tobi’s entire body swirled and disappeared before they could react.

Someone walked up behind Sarutobi and laid a hand on his shoulder.

An angry kunoichi smiled at him, and Zabuza grunted as he left the scene.

Well, a mission failure for them too.

Sucks.

At least, they had two names and faces to match now.