The Fierce Battle! Kakashi!

"Kakashi Hatake."

Kakashi corrected him.

For some reason, the moment he heard the name "Gojo Satoru," Kakashi felt an inexplicable twinge of irritation.

He looked back at the kunai as it shot away, pierced the clouds, and vanished from sight.

"Is that your jutsu? Or a summoning beast?"

Lin Qing didn't answer his question. Calmly, he said, "We just want to leave—to get out of a village that doesn't welcome us. Please, let us go."

If Konoha didn't want the Uchiha's power, then leaving quietly was the best way to preserve both sides' dignity.

By rights, with the entire Uchiha clan dead, all their property belonged to the two survivors, Lin Qing and Sasuke.

They hadn't asked for any of it.

They hadn't even demanded "severance pay."

Just as Lin Qing said, he only wanted to slink away. That was all.

Did they really have to wipe them out?

Clap—

Kakashi closed the Icha Icha Paradise in his hand and lifted the Forehead Protector covering his left eye. He channeled chakra into his eyes and faintly made out the towering figure standing behind Lin Qing, as imposing as a statue.

"Sorry, this isn't personal. It's just my job."

He drew three shuriken from his waist and hurled them with a backhand throw.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Star Platinum knocked them all away with its fists.

Kakashi disappeared from in front of him. A faint rustle of wind came from behind Lin Qing.

Star Platinum turned around.

Moonlight spilled across the scene, and Star Platinum's towering frame cast a deep shadow over Kakashi as he approached from behind.

With wild hair fluttering in the wind and a pair of eyes that commanded respect even without anger, it looked like a wrathful guardian deity. Just looking at it was enough to feel its terrifying pressure.

Kakashi was about to dodge with footwork, but Star Platinum was too fast.

Star Platinum grabbed Kakashi by the head, swung him around, and slammed him into the ground.

Bang—

Water sprayed everywhere.

Kakashi burst into a stream of water.

Water Clone Technique.

It had only been a probe.

In the shadows more than ten meters away, Kakashi thought:

"Just like the intel said, it's invincible in close combat within two meters. Even Guy has never made me feel this kind of pressure."

"In that case, let's try ninjutsu."

Danzo's orders couldn't control Kakashi. Besides, he had enough control over his jutsu to ensure he wouldn't hurt Little Sasuke.

Kakashi rapidly formed hand seals.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"

Kakashi formed hand seals at astonishing speed. Before the water from the Water Clone had even hit the ground, it transformed once more into a water dragon that surged into the sky.

The water dragon carried terrifying force. Its scarlet eyes brimmed with murderous intent as it opened its huge jaws and lunged at Lin Qing.

"Ora!"

Star Platinum threw a heavy punch, denting the water dragon's ferocious head.

Without giving the dragon time to recover, Star Platinum roared and pummeled it with one punch after another. With nothing but its fists, it was about to smash a B-rank jutsu to pieces.

Suddenly, the ground vanished beneath Lin Qing, and he was dragged underground.

Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu.

In such a short time, Kakashi had used three jutsu in succession, coordinating them with exquisite precision.

The Water Clone was a probe, the Water Dragon Bullet drew out the enemy, and the Headhunter Jutsu restrained him. Kakashi kept his real body at a distance from Lin Qing throughout, achieving the effect of an entire ninja squad on his own.

He truly deserved his reputation as Konoha's jutsu master.

The water dragon wrapped around Star Platinum with the last of its strength. It would take Star Platinum half a second to get back. That was more than enough time for Kakashi to press a kunai to Lin Qing's throat.

"I win."

The instant Kakashi had that thought—

Star Platinum, fighting the water dragon, vanished into thin air. Then tendrils of vines emerged one after another.

Purple Vines coiled around the nearby buildings like ropes. At the very last moment before Lin Qing was buried underground, they yanked him free and flung him high into the air.

A fierce wind whistled past, tousling Lin Qing's hair.

But Kakashi could see clearly that Lin Qing's eyes were perfectly calm.

Kakashi sensed danger.

The vines disappeared, and Star Platinum appeared again.

It grabbed Lin Qing's arm, spun twice in midair, and hurled him at Kakashi like a baseball.

Seeing Lin Qing hurtle toward him, Kakashi's heart lurched. He pushed off the ground with both feet, retreating beyond Star Platinum's attack range.

But he was too late—

"Ora!"

A fist harder than diamond smashed into Kakashi's face.

Bang!

A cloud of smoke flashed.

A wooden post remained.

Substitution Technique.

Little Sasuke had seen enough to know what he was looking at. He noticed the paper tag stuck to the wooden post.

"Look out! Explosive Tag!"

The fight between the two moved too fast. Sasuke couldn't react in time, and only now had a chance to warn him.

Star Platinum smashed the wooden post with one punch and reached out with its other hand.

With absolute precision and speed, its fingertip sliced the Explosive Tag off the post like a scalpel, severing the ignition fuse before it could detonate.

Ten meters away, Kakashi reappeared, his eyes filled with gravity.

Before they'd actually fought, Kakashi had looked down on Lin Qing a little, thinking he simply had some unusual ability.

He'd seen plenty of ninjas who relied on a single trick. Once you found a way to counter it, they were easy to deal with.

But now Kakashi realized it wasn't that simple.

The key wasn't the Stand's ability.

It was Lin Qing, the one using it.

His composure in battle, his ability to make split-second judgments... He was formidable.

Little Sasuke felt the tension in the air and instinctively clenched his small fists.

Sasuke wasn't the only one watching the fight.

In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the crystal ball with a pipe between his teeth.

A dozen insects hovered in the air, their compound eyes looking down as they transmitted the scene to the Aburame Clan.

The Hyuga Clan had an even simpler method. Their Byakugan pierced through the walls and let them watch the fight live.

Countless eyes, each with its own complicated thoughts, watched the battle.

"Kakashi's gotten even stronger. His tactical choices and the speed at which he uses his jutsu are flawless."

"And yet, he's not at a disadvantage against someone like that..."

Every gaze fell on Lin Qing.

His file wasn't hard to look up. He was the Uchiha's most famous deadweight, steadfastly following the path of doing nothing.

Could he have been pretending all these years?

Why?

To steal intelligence?

No. To steal intelligence, he'd have to climb as high as possible. Staying at the bottom wouldn't get him any important information.

So... was he simply a recluse?

Eyes full of different emotions turned toward Lin Qing. They all had the same question on their minds:

"Who are you, really?"

If Lin Qing could hear that question, his answer would be:

"Just an ordinary guy with terrible luck."

He'd studied from dawn till dusk his whole life. Just as he was about to start working and earning money, he'd been transported to another world.

That would've been bad enough, but when he opened his eyes, his entire clan had been slaughtered, and even the chance to coast through life had been taken away from him.

The people in power hadn't comforted the survivors. Instead, they wanted to wipe them out.

The JOJO Stand System he'd received was less a perk of being transported to another world than compensation to balance out all that bad luck.

"Brother Qing, can you win?" Sasuke asked.

Lin Qing had performed too many miracles that night, but Kakashi Hatake was also a warrior who had fought and killed on the battlefield. The rapid exchanges had already exposed Lin Qing's strengths and weaknesses—

Absolute dominance in close combat, but weakness at mid-to-long range.

As long as Kakashi kept his distance, harassing him with jutsu and stalling until reinforcements arrived, Lin Qing could only take the beating.

As for hurling Lin Qing at Kakashi with Star Platinum as he'd done before to close the distance quickly, it would put a heavy strain on Lin Qing's body, and there would be a time lag.

Kakashi would have enough time to dodge or use the Substitution Technique.

The people hiding in the shadows to monitor the battle could see the same weakness Sasuke had spotted.

"The battle's over."

The Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen—shook his head slightly and leaned his old, weary body against the chair.

A hand appeared, drawing the spectators' attention.

Lin Qing gently patted Sasuke's head, mussing his middle-parted hair, and said with a smile:

"I'll win."

Win?

How?

Lin Qing charged at Kakashi again, and they clashed. Star Platinum seized another opening and threw a punch.

A familiar puff of smoke flashed. Kakashi used the Substitution Technique and reappeared more than ten meters away, ready for the next attack.

But Lin Qing didn't move.

The Lin Qing who'd been attacking relentlessly stood motionless. Star Platinum had disappeared as well.

Watching the scene through the surveillance feed, Danzo, hidden behind the scenes, gave a cold snort. "After all that big talk, he's finally given up?"

He'd voiced what many people were thinking.

Even Sasuke, right there at the scene, thought Lin Qing had given up.

Only Kakashi felt the hairs on his body stand on end.

He sensed a deepening danger and was about to dodge again when he realized...

He couldn't move?!

Several Purple Vines shot out of the ground, winding around Kakashi's legs and waist. They tightened like steel cables, pinning him in place.

"When did you—?" Kakashi asked.

"From the moment you thought you'd figured out my weakness and could win for sure."

Kakashi wasn't the only one observing his opponent during the fight.

Lin Qing had figured out Kakashi's weakness, too.

First, Kakashi didn't have much chakra, so he couldn't casually use large-scale jutsu over long distances.

Second, the Substitution Technique could only move him about ten to fifteen meters.

Based on those two points, Lin Qing had kept switching to Hermit Purple throughout the fight, laying a restraining net of vines with himself at the center and a radius of twenty meters.

No matter which direction Kakashi dodged in with the Substitution Technique, he'd end up caught in Hermit Purple's coils.

The Substitution Technique wasn't teleportation. With his whole body bound, Kakashi couldn't escape.

But... so what?

Lin Qing could only use the power of one Stand at a time.

That was what Kakashi had observed.

Hermit Purple couldn't inflict any real injuries on Kakashi. The moment Lin Qing switched Stands, Kakashi—already prepared—could use the Substitution Technique to dodge the attack at once.

"I know what you're thinking."

Lin Qing pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.

Kakashi was stunned to realize it was the Explosive Tag he'd casually stuck to the wooden post when he first used the Substitution Technique.

"I really can't hurt you. But this should be able to."

Lin Qing relit the Explosive Tag and tossed it down in front of Kakashi. Then he patted Sasuke's head.

"Let's go."

Sasuke glanced back at the Explosive Tag on the ground.

"Aren't you going to stick it on him?"

Lin Qing shook his head.

There was no need.

Kakashi had held back earlier. None of his attacks had been aimed at vital spots. Lin Qing had no grudge against him, so there was no need to kill him.

Kakashi stared blankly at the departing figures of the boy and the man.

He was known as the Copy Ninja. Since his debut, he'd copied countless jutsu, and during the war, he'd encountered all kinds of mysterious Kekkei Genkai.

Lin Qing's clone had exceeded Kakashi's understanding.

But what surpassed his understanding even more was Lin Qing himself.

Kakashi's lips curled into a smile.

"What an interesting young man."

Boom—

A burst of fire from the explosion shot into the sky.

Lin Qing left the explosion behind him, along with his identity as a Konoha Ninja.

He raised a hand and waved to those behind him.

The scene was like a famous painting, etched into the memories of the many observers.

The blaze from the explosion vanished. Lin Qing and the other man melted into the darkness and disappeared.