There is also the Kirigakure Ninja's words 'Hand over Tazuna', clearly indicates that they are targeting their 'escort mission target.'
'Could it be... Kirigakure received an assassination mission from another country?'
Kakashi kept this speculation in mind as he proceeded to the next level of the game.
[Land of Waves: Arrival]
[After a fierce battle, Team 7 safely survived the Kirigakure Ninja's ambush]
[At this point, Tazuna revealed the identity of the person behind the attacks]
[The one who wanted Tazuna dead was a wealthy businessman from the Land of Waves, Gato]
[He was a staunch opponent of the bridge construction and sought to halt its progress]
[Despite knowing the dangers ahead, the determined Team 7 did not back down.]
[Thus, escorting Tazuna, the group set off toward the Land of Waves]
---
Kakashi easily progressed through the storyline, clearing two more levels without gaining much useful information.
From the earlier conditions and scattered clues, Kakashi began to understand.
'So... these Kirigakure Ninjas were hired by the wealthy businessman named Gato?'
'However, this clearly violated the rules of the Ninja Village.'
'As a neutral entity, a Ninja Village naturally couldn't casually send Ninjas to another country, let alone assassinate its own citizens.'
'If Kirigakure dared to do such a thing, where would their reputation stand?'
While it's likely that many Ninja Villages have carried out assassinations, Kakashi knew such tasks should be handled by their Anbu.
Many aspects of this situation didn't make sense, and Kakashi frowned. As he looked at the victory screen of the third level, a sudden possibility crossed his mind...
'Perhaps, these Ninjas weren't actually from Kirigakure!'
'That's right, they could be Rogue Ninjas or Missing-nin from Kirigakure disguised as Kirigakure Ninjas!'
'This would explain everything.'
However, defecting from Kirigakure is no easy feat. Although there were many defectors during the early days of the Bloody Mist policy, Kakashi heard that over 90% of them were intercepted and killed by Kirigakure's Anbu.
It is unlikely that the remaining Kirigakure Ninjas will become defectors.
Despite Kirigakure's internal chaos during the Bloody Mist era... their methods of dealing with defectors were even more brutal than their treatment of local clans with Kekkei Genkai!
'Unless... unless these defectors were led by a powerful Ninja.'
'Could it be...'
Kakashi had an epiphany and immediately recalled the line that appeared when he first entered the game.
[The Demon of the Hidden Mist, an ambitious figure born from the Bloody Mist]
'Demon... Bloody Mist...'
Kakashi thought of a rumor.
It is said that a decade ago, a demon appeared in Kirigakure.
He not only killed his own comrades but also slaughtered over a hundred of his fellow students.
From then on, the young man earned a nickname.
The Demon… Zabuza.
Kakashi considered this possibility, and after piecing together the clues, he was still shocked.
He didn't expect a low-level escort mission would lead to an encounter with Kirigakure's Missing-nin, Momochi Zabuza.
This guy was once one of Kirigakure's top fighters! The wielder of the Kubikiribocho from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!
However, the news of Zabuza's defection was known only to a few.
Kakashi recalled that this intelligence was likely leaked by a spy who infiltrated Kirigakure. Moreover, many of Kirigakure's higher-ups were traitors who sold out their village for personal gain.
After all, Kirigakure was unlike other Ninja Villages… as it was a completely isolated place, with information, personnel, and resources.
They're almost entirely cut off from the outside world.
Kakashi's understanding of Kirigakure was largely based on the period around the Third Ninja World War.
At that time, Kirigakure, under the Third Mizukage, had already implemented partial isolation, but there were still legal channels for external communication.
However, after the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, took over... Kirigakure deepened and fully enforced the Bloody Mist policy, undergoing a complete transformation that continues to this day.
Kakashi took a moment to calm the turmoil in his heart and proceeded to the next level. The name of the fourth level already revealed a lot of information...
[Encounter: Zabuza]
'It really is him!'
Kakashi nearly exclaimed aloud, but realizing that the Manager was working nearby and no one else was around, he breathed a sigh of relief and continued to focus on the game.
[The men sent by Gato continued to attack Team 7.]
[And Team 7 fought desperately to protect Tazuna.]
[In the shadows, a true formidable enemy had already set their sights on Naruto and the others.]
[One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Momochi Zabuza.]
[The chilling man was quietly closing in on Team 7...]
This level wasn't particularly complicated, though Kakashi lost some health dealing with the regular enemies before the showdown with Zabuza.
Seeing the words 'Powerful Enemy is Approaching,' Kakashi knew that the next opponent in the storyline would be Zabuza.
However, he wasn't too worried. Based on his previous experience with the game's storyline battles, these opponents only had flashy skills but lacked strategic execution. He just needed to make a slight effort...
[Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!]
Kakashi, controlling the in-game version of Kakashi, was about to unleash his Raikiri when he was met head-on by Zabuza's Water Dragon Bullet Technique.
His character was instantly blown back to the edge of the map.
Kakashi was utterly shocked, 'What the heck? The range of that skill... could it really be that large?'
[Hatake Kakashi] was currently the most powerful ninja in the game, and Kakashi had grown accustomed to the feeling of being a cut above the rest in the game.
Now, suddenly faced with a character whose skill range was absurdly exaggerated, he found it hard to accept at first.
But then he remembered that in reality, Momochi Zabuza was also a Ninja of great renown.
Kakashi knew that his in-game rating was 'A-Rank,' and he had previously asked Yuto what that meant.
Yuto's explanation was, "It's similar to mission ranks. This rating is based on the Ninja's strength and rarity."
If compared to mission ranks... Kakashi had initially thought that since he had completed dozens of S-Rank missions, how could he only be rated A-Rank?
Then Yuto could only explain that only the Third Hokage and the Fourth Hokage were rated S-Rank.
'So... does that mean the Demon Zabuza is the next Ninja available for recruitment?'
With this thought, Kakashi's interest was instantly piqued.
'It seems his performance is quite impressive!'
Kakashi began to imagine bringing two 'A-Rank' Ninjas into the Arena. By now, he had already assumed that Zabuza was on the same level as himself.
It didn't take much effort to reduce Zabuza to low health.
After some practice, Kakashi had figured out a few tricks to deal with this Ninja...
Although the Water Dragon Bullet Technique looked intimidating, it actually required a lot of preparation time, during which he could easily dodge.
Another skill seemed to be the Water Prison Technique, which is a Jutsu from Kirigakure...
But in the game, Kakashi hadn't found a reliable way to counter it yet, so he decided to experiment more later.
After all, levels could be replayed indefinitely, and he might encounter it in the Arena as well.
So, Kakashi activated his ultimate move, finishing off Zabuza's last bit of health...
[Your ambition has caused too much sacrifice. This is not the behavior a Ninja should have.]
Having grown accustomed to the special easter eggs that appeared after ultimate finishes, Kakashi suddenly noticed that this time, the ultimate picture seemed different.