Hatake Kakashi

Akashi's Kunai struck straight for the back, moving with great speed, yet the opponent flickered away even faster, slipping out of the attack range before turning and leaping down in front of Akashi. Their agility was extraordinary.

At the very least, they were a Jonin.

They were not tall, and their hairstyle was quite flamboyant. They felt somewhat familiar, yet he couldn't quite place them.

The only distinctive feature was the cat mask painted with white and green patterns.

As expected, someone from the Third Hokage or Danzo.

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

Akashi's expression was solemn as he countered, "And why were you skulking about, spying on me?"

"Perhaps you are mistaken; I was not spying on you."

The cat-masked ninja spoke without a hint of inflection, "I was merely passing by."

"Do you expect me to believe that?"

"Suit yourself." The cat-masked ninja spat out the two words coldly, and their figure suddenly vanished.

Body Flicker Technique!

It was the exact same Body Flicker Technique Akashi had used earlier; leaves danced around them, and they teleported instantly to his front. Unlike Akashi, however, the opponent drew the short blade from their back and slashed down at his face.

The leaves caught in the wind were sliced in two.

The blade reflected the sunlight, blindingly bright.

Akashi cursed the lunatic under his breath, raising his Kunai to parry the moment the blade descended. Even so, the immense force knocked him back, his feet carving deep grooves into the ground.

"Are you insane? Do you want to kill someone inside the village!"

"I only wanted to prove that if I intended to tail you, you would never have noticed."

"You're quite confident."

"It is a fact."

Akashi grinned, spinning the Kunai around his index finger before gripping it firmly, "Then let me tell you this: at your level, you aren't necessarily capable of hiding that well."

A cold glint flashed in the cat-masked ninja's eyes: "Let's test that!"

They raised the short blade, assuming the mid-level starting stance of Konoha Style Kenjutsu.

The hand gripping the blade was rock steady.

Akashi's gaze narrowed sharply. He drew a second Kunai with his left hand, lowered his center of gravity, and darted rapidly across the ground.

Times had changed; under the tutelage of Orochimaru, his close-quarters combat skills had made significant progress. With a Kunai in each hand, he lunged forward like an arrow released from a bow, his movement erratic yet his footing steady!

He was mimicking dual-wielding sword techniques with Kunai.

Clang!

Blade light flickered, and the screeching sound of metal grinding against metal rang out—Akashi's attack had actually been blocked.

The two Kunai struck from left and right, but were parried by the rotating short blade. The sharpness of the edge made the Kunai tremble, and sparks flew amidst the piercing screech.

Akashi couldn't help but be surprised; he twisted his body and launched another assault.

A series of stabs and slashes were all blocked by the blade. After dozens of exchanges, a snap echoed out as the edge of the Kunai cracked.

A faint blue glow of chakra was clinging to the blade.

Seeing this, Akashi immediately let go and his expression darkened.

"This is... a chakra blade."

A technique derived from samurai, it was an incredibly powerful ability in the ninja world.

By reinforcing weapons with chakra, one could gain a massive advantage. The White Fang, who had once dominated the ninja world with his short blade, was a user of this...

Wait!

Akashi looked at the cat-masked ninja before him and suddenly froze.

Could this guy be Kakashi?

Akashi was momentarily distracted by this sudden thought, a lapse the cat-masked ninja captured instantly. They rushed forward, swinging the blade in a horizontal slash.

Akashi leaned back, creating a twenty-centimeter gap, but his clothes tore with a rip.

Even with that distance, they could still inflict damage.

Is this the sword art of the Hatake clan?

In the moment of surprise, Akashi retreated while weaving hand signs:

Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!

A furious dragon of fire lunged forward, whistling winds swirling around its head, dragging white air currents in its wake. The heat surged, and the flames blazed with brilliance.

Boom!

The scorching inferno slammed into the ground, then spiraled upward into the sky.

The cat-masked ninja's body transformed into a puff of smoke, and a charred wooden log rolled out with a clatter.

"Substitution Technique." Akashi reacted instantly.

He was quite proficient in this technique himself, but accurately predicting an opponent's actions was no simple feat; rich combat experience and meticulous observation were crucial.

Hatake Kakashi fit both criteria perfectly, further confirming Akashi's suspicions.

Soon, the soil beneath his feet began to heave. Maintaining his vigilance, Akashi leaped away just as an arm shot out from the ground a second later.

Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!

Both parties moved almost simultaneously; the cat-masked ninja's hand grasped at empty air as he lunged out, while Akashi, now mid-air, flicked his sleeves.

Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!

Orochimaru's ninjutsu?

While surprised, the cat-masked ninja swiftly swung his short blade, the white light slicing through the air with a sharp, piercing whistle!

Several snake bodies were severed by the blade, hot blood splattering onto the grass before their jaws could even snap shut.

That high-speed strike was likely capable of cutting through steel!

Akashi had no intention of continuing a sword fight and put some distance between them: "Wind Release: Breakthrough!"

A howling gale erupted, the sweeping force acting like a barrier to block the path of the blade.

The grass on the ground was whipped up, surging like a tide.

The opponent sheathed his ninja blade and ducked behind a large tree to avoid the brunt of the attack, circling around before charging out again, electric light crackling in his hand.

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

There was no mistake; it was Lightning Release: Chidori.

Akashi had confirmed the identity of this Anbu ninja—it was undoubtedly Hatake Kakashi.

At the same time, countless ninja tools were thrown, attacking his blind spots with strange, curved trajectories.

Anbu masks effectively concealed identities, but to an extent, they also restricted vision. Coupled with the spreading dust, Akashi's Sharingan held the advantage.

However, Kakashi also possessed a Sharingan, and after much adjustment, he could now coordinate it with his ninjutsu.

He maneuvered nimbly through the web of ninja tools, dodging with ease as his figure drew closer and closer to Akashi.

He leaped into the air, electricity surging violently!

Akashi quickly formed hand seals: Earth Release: Earth Shore Return.

He slammed both palms onto the ground, flipping up a sturdy stone slab in front of him like a high wall.

Yet, Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle; Lightning Release countered Earth Release, and its immense destructive power was enough to shatter this fragile barrier.

Flowing arcs of electricity crackled and flashed, piercing through the earth layer like a sharp longsword, surging toward Akashi's chest with unstoppable momentum.

If he pushed forward just a little more, he would pierce his heart.

"You've lost." Kakashi raised his eyes, the black tomoe swirling within his crimson left eye; since obtaining the Sharingan, he had gained better control over this technique.

His hand was steady as he calmly declared victory.

Just like his countless previous victories—whether they were Uchiha, Hyuga, or the countless others who had challenged him—they had all fallen before his strength.

However, Akashi smiled, unperturbed: "It's not over yet."

As he spoke, his entire body suddenly collapsed. Unlike a Shadow Clone, it transformed into several white snakes that, upon hitting the ground, began to converge toward Kakashi.

It turned out the earth wall from earlier wasn't meant to block the Chidori, but to conceal his true movements.

"Snake Clone Technique?!" Kakashi was shocked.