If that was really the case, then why had he said those words?
Looking at the boy before him, who had just staggered back several steps before barely managing to stand upright, swaying unsteadily, and at the faint smile at the corner of his mouth that seemed to say he could do it, those words echoed in his mind, shaking him to the core.
Why... had I said that? Then, he repeated the question in his heart, staring at that smile.
Am I... wavering?
Then, his eyes widened slightly, and a look of disbelief flashed across his face.
Yes, wavering! At that moment, the Third Raikage discovered what was wrong with himself.
He should never have said those words!
Or rather, he would never have said something like that—words that seemed to put him at an advantage, but actually placed him at a disadvantage!
That was right. Those were the words of someone who seemed to hold the upper hand but had already fallen behind. Hidden beneath them was a guilty conscience. To a true strong person, they sounded like someone trying to bolster their courage, as though they were convincing themselves that the situation favored them.
That was wavering!
Deep in his subconscious, he had begun to doubt whether he could deal with Taki Chiba and that Uchiha Clan brat.
If he had not wavered, then according to the way he had always fought—or rather, the way he had fought throughout this battle—he would have finished Taki Chiba the instant he got back on his feet.
Instead of standing here now, saying something while doing nothing.
In other words, Taki Chiba had made him subconsciously waver over the final outcome of this battle—or, more specifically, over whether he could kill Taki Chiba.
He knew very well what wavering meant.