Hatake Kakashi

Akashi's kunai was already at the other man's back. He was fast, but his opponent darted away even faster, slipping out of range before turning and landing in front of Akashi. His agility was extraordinary—at least that of a jonin.

He wasn't very tall, and his hairstyle was striking. He seemed familiar, but Akashi couldn't quite place him.

The only distinctive feature was the white-and-green cat face painted on his mask.

Sure enough, he was one of the Third Hokage's or Danzo's people.

The cat-masked ninja asked in a flat voice, "Uchiha... why did you attack me?"

Akashi's expression grew serious. "Why were you skulking there, watching me?"

"You may be mistaken. I wasn't watching you."

The cat-masked ninja's voice held no inflection. "I was just passing by."

"Do you think I believe that?"

"Believe what you like." The cat-masked ninja uttered the words blandly, then suddenly vanished.

Body Flicker Technique!

It was exactly the same kind of Body Flicker Akashi had just used. Leaves swirled around him as he instantly appeared in front of Akashi. But unlike Akashi, he drew the short sword from his back and brought it down in a slash.

The leaves caught in the wind split in two.

Sunlight flashed dazzlingly off the blade.

Akashi cursed the guy for being crazy. The instant the blade fell, he raised his kunai to block it. Even so, the force sent him skidding backward, his feet gouging a line into the ground.

"Are you insane? You want to kill someone in the village?"

"I just wanted to prove that if I meant to follow you, you wouldn't notice."

"You're certainly confident."

"It's a fact."

Akashi grinned and spun the kunai once around his index finger before catching it firmly. "Then let me tell you this: with your skills, you might not be able to hide yourself that well."

A cold glint passed through the cat-masked ninja's eyes. "Let's find out!"

He raised his short sword and took the middle guard of Konoha Style Kenjutsu.

His grip was steady.

Akashi's eyes narrowed. He drew another kunai with his left hand, lowered his stance, and skimmed quickly along the ground.

Things were different now. Under Orochimaru's tutelage, his skill in close-quarters combat had improved by leaps and bounds. Holding a kunai in each hand, he surged forward like an arrow loosed from its bow, his movements elusive but his footing sure!

He used the kunai to imitate a two-sword style.

Clang!

The blades flashed, and the shrill scrape of metal rang out. Akashi's attack had been blocked.

The two kunai struck from either side, but the short sword turned to meet them. Its keen edge kept the kunai trembling, sparks bursting out with a sharp hiss.

Akashi was taken aback. He twisted his body and attacked again.

His thrusts and slashes were all turned aside by the blade. After dozens of exchanges, the edge of one kunai cracked with a sharp snap.

A faint blue chakra glow coated the blade.

Akashi immediately let go of the kunai, his expression darkening.

"This is... a Chakra Blade."

A technique derived from the samurai, it was an extremely powerful ability even in the Shinobi World.

Using chakra to strengthen a weapon could provide a tremendous boost. The White Fang of Konoha, who had made a name for himself across the Shinobi World with a short sword in hand, had used this very...

Wait!

Akashi stared at the cat-masked ninja in front of him and suddenly froze.

Could this guy be Kakashi?

Akashi's sudden thought distracted him for a moment. The cat-masked ninja noticed at once and rushed forward, slashing horizontally.

Akashi leaned back, putting twenty centimeters between them. His clothes ripped with a sharp hiss.

The blade had cut him even though it hadn't reached him.

Was this the swordsmanship of the Hatake Clan?

As surprise flashed through him, Akashi retreated and formed Hand Seals.

"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

A furious fire dragon charged forward, wind coiling around its head and pulling white currents of air in its wake. The heat surged, and its flames blazed brightly.

Bang!

The scorching flames crashed into the ground, then spiraled into the sky.

But the cat-masked ninja's body turned into a cloud of smoke, and half of a burning log rolled out with a clatter.

"Substitution Technique." Akashi reacted instantly.

He was good at this technique too, but predicting an opponent's moves took more than skill. Extensive combat experience and keen observation were crucial.

Kakashi fit both conditions perfectly, further confirming Akashi's guess.

Soon, the earth beneath his feet stirred. Staying alert, Akashi leaped away at once. The next second, an arm shot out of the ground.

"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!"

They moved almost simultaneously. The cat-masked ninja's hand closed on empty air as he burst out of the ground, while Akashi, already airborne, shook his sleeve.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Orochimaru's ninjutsu?

The cat-masked ninja was startled, but quickly swung his short sword. A sharp, shrill whistle cut through the air as a streak of white light split it open.

Several snakes were severed by the blade, their blood splattering across the grass, their mouths still open.

That lightning-fast slash could probably cut through steel!

Akashi had no intention of clashing blades again. He opened up some distance. "Wind Release: Breakthrough!"

A howling gale burst forth. Its sweeping force formed a barrier, stopping the blade's advance.

The grass on the ground was swept up, rippling like a tide.

The other man put away his Ninja Blade and darted behind a large tree to avoid the brunt of the wind. After circling around, he charged out again, crackling lightning gathering in his hand.

It sounded as if a thousand birds were chirping within the Lightning Release.

There was no mistaking it: Lightning Release: Chidori.

Akashi had now identified the Anbu ninja beyond doubt: Hatake Kakashi.

At the same time, countless ninja tools flew toward him, following strange trajectories to strike from the edges of his vision.

Anbu masks concealed their wearers' identities effectively, but they also restricted their vision to some extent. Combined with the spreading dust, that gave Akashi's Sharingan an advantage.

Kakashi had a Sharingan too, however, and after a great deal of practice, he could now use it alongside his ninjutsu.

He moved nimbly through the web of ninja tools, dodging with ease as he drew closer and closer to Akashi.

He leaped into the air, lightning crackling!

Akashi quickly formed Hand Seals. "Earth Release: Earth Shore Return."

He slapped both palms against the ground, flipping up a slab of solid stone to hold in front of him like a tall wall.

Kakashi couldn't help laughing. Lightning Release countered Earth Release, and its tremendous destructive power was more than enough to shatter this flimsy barrier.

Arcs of electricity crackled and flashed like a sharp sword. They pierced the earth and drove straight toward Akashi's chest with unstoppable force.

Just a little farther, and they would pierce his heart.

"You've lost." Kakashi glanced up. His left eye was red, a black tomoe set in its center. With the Sharingan, he had gained better control over this technique.

His hand was steady as he calmly declared victory.

Just like all the times he'd won before. Countless people had challenged him—Uchiha, Hyuga, and others—and every one of them had fallen to his skill.

But Akashi only smiled calmly. "It's not over yet."

As he spoke, his entire body suddenly collapsed. Unlike a Shadow Clone, it transformed into several white snakes. When they hit the ground, they converged on Kakashi.

So the earthen wall hadn't been meant to stop the Chidori at all. It had been a cover for Akashi's real move.

"Snake Clone Technique?!" Kakashi was startled.