Once More by ItsHardToFindAPenName

Chapter 36: Grown

"Kisame."

Zabuza looked at the Kirigakure missing-nin with a glare full of disdain. The shark man grinned back at him with a smile full of sharp teeth.

"Zabuza. It's been a long time."

The Kirigakure loyalist's eyes didn't leave the missing-nin an inch. He knew how powerful the Monster of the Hidden Mist was, and if he thought he could ignore him even for one second, he would be a fool. He growled.

"Are you here to stop us from reaching where you Akatsuki are extracting the Six-Tails from Utakata?"

Kisame grinned, and raised Samehada up a bit. "You got me."

Then without even a warning, he kicked the water surface and launched himself at the group like a bullet. Samehada was swung in a wide, horizontal arc, absolutely aiming to maim at least three members of the group. But before it could reach even a strand of hair on Karin's, the first one standing on his way, head, it was stopped by the blade of Kubikiribocho.

Putting all of his power into his arms, Zabuza swung his sword with a mighty strength, throwing both Kisame and his sword away. He yelled back at the Konoha group.

"You all go ahead! Leave Kisame to me! Your mission is to go and rescue Utakata!"

"Do you really think that I would let them get away?" Kisame sneered while regaining balance, and immediately flipped through hand seals. A horde of sharks made of water burst out from under the surface and rushed the group with the ferocity and power of torpedoes.

But they couldn't even touch the group of shinobi. A horde of... something also made of water from below Zabuza also lashed out and intercepted the barrage coming from Kisame, so fast that no one could even see it coming, or realize what the attack was.

Except for Itachi. With his Sharingan in action, he could see it as clearly as a film in slow motion.

"Water Dragons Dance..." he mused. "I've only seen this jutsu performed once by Lord Third, but even his wasn't even this powerful and fast..."

"And he doesn't even seem to lose that much of chakra, either..." Neji, standing next to him, also said in awe. "He must have mastered that jutsu to the level of Lord Second himself..."

From the other side, Kisame also showed a slightly surprised expression. "Oh? It seems you also gained some power after all, Zabuza."

"I didn't accept my position as the captain of the new Seven Swordsmen for nothing, Kisame," Zabuza answered. "I know that before I was weaker than you, so I also pushed myself to the limit to be worthy of the name Captain. I'm not someone who would sit still to receive what I don't deserve to bear."

"Then it means I will have to kill you before I can get to them, huh," the Monster of the Hidden Mist grinned menacingly and brandished his sword.

"Indeed. And you're free to try," The Devil of the Hidden Mist also brandished his own sword and answered when the Konoha shinobi nodded at him and started moving.

"Is it wise to leave Zabuza alone with Kisame like that?" Gai asked worriedly when the Konoha task force was on their way again. "I mean, I faced that Kisame guy before, remember? And he was one of those very rare people who managed to force me to use the Seventh Gate..."

Before anyone could answer, Itachi cut in.

"I don't think you should worry about that. Isn't your mission right now tracking down and rescue the Six-Tails jinchuriki from the Akatsuki? Even Zabuza himself said so, remember?"

The other Konoha shinobi looked at each other in worry. "Even so..."

"Don't worry," Itachi reassured them. "Zabuza hasn't shown everything he has yet; from what I saw about him, he must be at least as strong as Kisame himself. I'm sure he would be fine."