Naruto: The Chosen Undead

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Chapter 98 The Demon of the Mist

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The small wooden boat creaked as it pushed through the mist-shrouded sea, the soft splash of the oars barely audible against the dense fog. Naruto sat cross-legged near the bow, his arms folded as he let out a long, exaggerated sigh.

It had been two days since he'd left the campsite with no sign of Lordran due to his mission, and the thought gnawed at him. Solaire must've left by now, he thought gloomily, fake tears welling up in his eyes. Looks like I can't talk to my Sunbro…

The soft murmur of voices drew his attention, and he turned to see Tazuna speaking with the helmsman.

"How's the situation looking back home?"

The helmsman adjusted his wide, worn straw hat, a hand calloused from years of labor brushing against its frayed edges. His name was Kojiro, a thin, wiry man with sun-weathered skin and deep-set eyes that seemed permanently narrowed from decades of squinting against the sea's glare. He wore a tattered blue yukata tied at the waist with a faded rope belt, and his sandals were held together by thin strips of cloth.

Kojiro's voice had a distinct cadence to it—a low, gravelly tone that dragged slightly. "The same as it's always been, Tazuna-san," he said, his eyes fixed on the mist ahead. "Gatō's men are everywhere, taking what they want, killing who they please. Your bridge… it's the only chance we've got left. That's why I agreed to this."

Team 7 took a collective breath, the weight of the helmsman's words settling over them like a heavy fog. They had known the mission was important—it had been drilled into their heads since the beginning. But hearing it from someone who lived it, someone who carried the scars of Gatō's tyranny, made it real in a way no briefing or strategy ever could.

"People are starving. Some have already started fleeing to the mountains. The rest… they're holding on for your bridge. If you can finish it, maybe, just maybe, we'll have a future that isn't owned by Gatō."

The boat glided forward, the mist beginning to part, revealing the skeletal outline of the unfinished bridge. Massive stone pillars rose from the water, their surfaces marred by moss and the elements. The framework of wooden scaffolding stretched across its length, incomplete and precarious, as if frozen mid-construction.

To Naruto, it was as impressive as the bridge back in Lordran.

"Tazuna-san, you made this?" Sakura asked.

"No, kid. I'll have made it when it's done—when my people can sleep, eat, and breathe without fear. Then, maybe, I'll call it mine."

The boat drifted into a series of arched stone tunnels, their curved ceilings damp with condensation, glistening faintly in the light that filtered through cracks above. Above the arches, the muffled sounds of a bustling fish market echoed faintly—voices haggling over prices, the sharp clatter of fishmongers' knives, and the occasional splash of discarded water. The air carried a peculiar mix of scents: salt, decay, and the tang of fish.

Naruto wrinkled his nose. "What is this place?"

"This is the dock for people like us—common folk. The real docks? Gatō owns those. This is all we've got left." He gestured to the mangroves. "I'll use the cover of the trees to sneak you in. Once we hit land, move fast. The roads aren't safe."

Kakashi nodded. "Team, we're going off the road. Stay alert. This is dangerous territory."

The boat slowed as Kojiro guided it into the dock. The wood groaned under their weight as they began to disembark. Around them, the mangroves stretched out like a natural fortress, the water stained with the muck of rot and salt. Small figures moved in the shadows—fishermen and children hauling what little they could, their faces gaunt and wary.

"They all look so…" Naruto trailed off, unsure of how to finish.

"They're surviving," Kojiro said simply. "That's all the people of the Wave can do."

But then, Naruto froze. His body tensed, every instinct screaming as he felt it—a shift in the air, the ripple of danger closing in.

"Get down!" Naruto shouted, shoving Tazuna to the side.

The rest of Team 7 ducked instinctively as a shadow tore through the air. A sharp whistle of wind cut across the dock, and then came the sickening sound of flesh and bone being severed—a single, brutal thud.

Jiro's body stood motionless for a heartbeat, as if frozen in time. Then, with a grotesque inevitability, his headless torso collapsed onto the dock, blood spraying across the weathered planks. His straw hat fluttered to the ground, landing beside his lifeless body as crimson pooled beneath it.

"No!" Tazuna cried out, his voice breaking.

The head tumbled into the murky water, sinking quickly, leaving behind ripples that spread out across the blood-streaked waves.

Above them, the massive blade of the Kubikiribōchō was embedded into a mangrove trunk, its bloodied edge glinting in the light. Then came the sound of footsteps, followed by the faint hum of Shunshin.

Zabuza Momochi appeared atop the blade of his sword, his tall, muscular frame silhouetted against the pale mist. His bandaged face was calm, his dark eyes scanning them like a predator sizing up its prey.

"So… these are the shinobi guarding Tazuna. Let's see if you're worth the effort."

Naruto growled low in his throat, his hands instinctively moving toward his sword. His fingers itched for action, for vengeance after the helmsman's death. But before he could take a step, Kakashi outstretched his hand, blocking him.

"This isn't your fight, Naruto," Kakashi said firmly. "Protect Tazuna. I'll handle this."

Naruto obeyed, stepping back as Kakashi reached up and pulled his headband up, revealing the crimson Sharingan. The air around Team 7 shifted as they realized their sensei was taking this fight seriously.

Without a word, the team snapped into formation. Naruto and Sasuke flanked either side of Tazuna, their weapons ready, while Sakura stood directly in front of the bridge builder, driving kunai into the rotting dock planks.

Tazuna glanced nervously at the team, his hands trembling slightly. "Wouldn't it be better if we ran?" he suggested, his voice tight with fear as he noticed the last few villagers fleeing into the mist.

"No," Kakashi replied. "You wouldn't make it far."

"Then it must be over for the villagers," Tazuna muttered as he took a swig from the battered bottle in his hands. His eyes tracked the silhouettes of men, women, and children darting into the mist, running as far from the conflict as they could.

"They know," Tazuna said quietly, more to himself than anyone else. His weathered face turned down slightly as if in prayer, his hand gripping the bottle like it was the only anchor he had. The moment you spot a ninja, you run—even if they're not after you. Their collateral can kill you just the same.

Naruto watched the villagers disappear into the fog, their figures fading like ghosts. His jaw clenched, and without a word, he formed a dozen shadow clones with a single handsign. The clones appeared in a flash, nodding to him before they flickered, vanishing into the mist with quiet efficiency.

"Don't worry, old man," Naruto said. "No one's dying on our watch."

Tazuna's lips pressed into a thin line, his hand tightening around the bottle. For a brief moment, he felt something unfamiliar—and then he noticed something in Naruto's body language.

Naruto felt the memories of something killing his clones in the mist.

"Konoha shinobi… is that really what you're like?"

From atop the massive Kubikiribōchō, Zabuza snorted. "Soft," he sneered. "That's what Konoha shinobi are—idealists playing at being warriors."

Zabuza's posture was relaxed. "Is this what you've taught your team, Kakashi of the Sharingan? To hold the hands of civilians? To play hero?"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Zabuza's form. He knew immediately that the man standing on the massive sword was just a water clone, a decoy meant to distract, and his words were meant for psychological warfare. He's trying to unnerve them, to get into their heads before the fight begins.

"I think I've taught my brats well enough."

Zabuza's eyes darkened. "You think you're raising shinobi? No. What you've made are children pretending to be warriors. A ninja isn't someone who protects, Kakashi. A ninja is a weapon. A tool forged to kill, again and again, until there's nothing left."

His gaze shifted to Naruto's clones as they vanished deeper into the mist, ushering the few remaining villagers to safety.

"You're wasting your time, kid. I've already popped your little toys. Hearts, kidneys, throats—those poor civilians are bleeding out as we speak. You should've stayed with your client instead of playing hero."

Naruto's fingers tightened on the hilt of his Zweihander, his jaw clenching as fury rippled through him.

"Stop!" Kakashi's voice cut through the tension like a knife. "Naruto, calm down! Don't let him get into your head!"

Naruto froze in place, his breath heaving, but he didn't lower his weapon.

"That's right, boy. Listen to your teacher. You're not ready to face someone like me."

Before he could say more, Kakashi moved.

"Lightning Style: Senbon!"

A flash of light cracked through the mist as Kakashi's jutsu shot forward, piercing Zabuza's chest in an instant. The figure on the Kubikiribōchō froze, then dissolved into a splash of water, the remnants falling back into the sea.

As the ripples faded, Zabuza's voice echoed through the mist, low and mocking. "Good shot, Kakashi. But that wasn't me."

The fog thickened, rolling over the dock like a living thing, swallowing the area in a dense, suffocating white. The world grew eerily quiet, the only sound the faint lapping of waves against the mangroves.

Naruto tightened his grip on the Zweihander, adjusting his stance. He let the blade drop into the fool's guard, but his senses extended outward, feeling every minute shift in the air, every vibration in the water.

Sasuke crouched low to Naruto's left, his Sharingan spinning as he scanned the mist for even the faintest movement. Sakura remained close to Tazuna, her hands ready, her eyes darting between the shadows.

The team waited, their breaths shallow, their nerves taut like bowstrings.

Somewhere in the fog, the Demon of the Mist waited too. Watching. Hunting.

And then the silence broke.

Without warning, Zabuza appeared like a phantom from the fog, his massive Kubikiribōchō slicing through the air in a deadly, sweeping arc aimed to decapitate the entire team.

Naruto's Zweihander shot upward, the blade catching Zabuza's massive sword with a metallic crash. The sheer force of Naruto's swing stopped the executioner's blade in its tracks, sparks flying as the two weapons met.

To Zabuza's surprise, Naruto's raw strength pushed him back. The force was enough to make him skid across the slick dock, his feet digging into the wood as he regained his balance.

But before Zabuza could recover, Kakashi appeared behind him in a blur of speed. A kunai gleamed in the faint light as Kakashi's hand moved like lightning, slitting Zabuza's throat.

Or so it seemed.

Zabuza's body melted into water, splashing harmlessly onto the dock as another figure emerged from the mist behind Kakashi and swung his massive sword in a deadly horizontal arc, the blade slicing through the air toward the older man's back.

Kakashi twisted his body at the last moment, jumping into a backflip that carried him out of harm's way. As he flipped through the air, his hands came together in a blur of motion.

"Wind Style: Reuleaux Triangle!"@@novelbin@@

A blast of wind, shaped like a rotating circular triangle, burst from Kakashi's palms. The jutsu spun with razor-sharp edges, cutting through the mist with a high-pitched screech. It slammed into Zabuza with enough force to send him crashing into the water below—only for his body to splatter into a puddle, another water clone.

A low, mocking laugh echoed through the mist, chilling and cruel. "You're good, Kakashi. But not good enough."

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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Now, if you're interested in supporting me on P@treon, let me just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P@treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 48, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.

To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comment! Honestly, your comments make my day, and they let me know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!