Fifty-Fifty

The scattered white snakes fell to the ground, then suddenly surged toward Kakashi like converging water.

Kakashi was surprised for only a moment; his keen combat instincts immediately alerted him, and he leaped into the air, drawing his short blade while performing a backflip.

The blade was coated in pale blue chakra, slicing through the converging "water" while crackling with swift lightning.

Lightning-style chakra conduction!

The frenzied white snakes were swallowed by the spreading current, hissing as they turned into charred remains.

Yet, he did not pursue, choosing instead to widen the distance.

By the age of twelve, Kakashi was already a Jonin; later, he became a member of the Fourth Hokage's guard, joined Root after the Fourth's death under Danzo's manipulation, and was eventually recruited into the Anbu by the Third Hokage after defecting during an assassination attempt on the Third.

In just two short years, his life experience had been nothing short of extraordinary.

However, this also proved that he possessed exceptional talent.

Yet, when facing Akashi, Kakashi actually felt a sense of pressure; the endless exchange of ninjutsu and offensive maneuvers had failed to secure him any clear advantage.

His opponent was also at the level of a Jonin.

Having launched several fierce attacks—including Fire Style, Wind Style, Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, and Snake Clone Technique—all of which consumed a significant amount of chakra, Akashi's state remained remarkably full.

As the two fought, the original reason for their clash had been forgotten, replaced by a sense of competitive spirit.

He felt the exhilaration of meeting a true match!

The one area where I might be able to surpass him is kenjutsu.

In an instant, Kakashi made his decision.

The next moment, he sprinted toward Akashi; it was a simple thrust, yet it felt impossible to dodge.

There were no dazzling techniques, only peerless speed.

Fast!

After the White Fang was broken, Kakashi rarely used kenjutsu in front of others, but that did not mean his swordsmanship had regressed. On the contrary, the reason he was called a genius was that he was stronger than others in every single aspect!

Akashi sensed the danger, quickly reaching into his ninja tool pouch to raise a Kunai, colliding with a metallic clang!

The piercing sound was teeth-grinding, stinging the eardrums.

The legendary, lightning-fast strikes of the Konoha White Fang were replicated in Kakashi's hands; though not yet perfect, they already possessed a touch of the original's essence.

Hatake Kenjutsu really is powerful!

Kakashi had only learned the basics from his father and had already reached this level; how terrifying would it be if Hatake Sakumo used it himself?

Akashi truly wanted to see that style of swordsmanship.

It was a pity that after Kakashi grew up, he did not lean in that direction, instead becoming overly reliant on the power of the Sharingan.

Even so, Kakashi remained confident that he could win with the kenjutsu he took such pride in. In another instant, he kicked off the ground, raising a cloud of dust, and vanished from Akashi's sight.

His figure shifted slightly, launching another attack from the flank.

A slash descended, only to be intercepted once more.

He immediately changed direction!

Kakashi launched a series of strikes, gradually forming a suppression.

Akashi gripped his Kunai tightly, feeling the flow of the air—gusts of wind, like blades scraping against his cheeks.

His Sharingan observed the shifts in position, his nerves taut.

Here it comes!

The blade light struck from a 45-degree angle.

Akashi dodged to the side, twisting his waist with all his might and swinging his arm in one fluid motion; with a "ding," he parried the short blade.

However, the Kunai instantly cracked down the middle, snapping into two pieces. The fracture spread, crawling all the way to the hilt before it fell to the ground.

Akashi made a split-second decision and retreated.

Kakashi seized the opportunity to leap onto a tree branch, concealing his figure to prepare for a decisive strike.

The sound of rustling reached his ears; Akashi's gaze shifted, and he pressed one hand to the ground, shaking his sleeves to set a trap with white snakes.

Soon, Kakashi's short blade thrust forward.

Akashi locked onto the moment his figure lunged and swung his arm!

Clang!

He blocked the thrust with his remaining Kunai, his wrist trembling from the exertion, yet the blade edge gradually drew closer.

"Give up," Kakashi said, switching to a two-handed grip.

Akashi's expression remained unchanged: "Is this chakra-infused kenjutsu?"

"That's right."

"Truly stunning," Akashi smiled slightly. "Unfortunately, I haven't lost yet."

A flicker of doubt crossed Hatake Kakashi's eyes, but he suddenly felt something writhing beneath his feet. It was... a snake!

Snakes buried in the earth burst forth, coiling tightly around his ankles and arms.

"When?"

"The moment you slipped into the tree, I did a little preparation work." Akashi explained, "You shouldn't underestimate me."

Hatake Kakashi clenched his fists, struggling to steady his breathing: "And you shouldn't underestimate me."

Poof!

A cloud of smoke exploded, and Hatake Kakashi vanished.

"A Shadow Clone?"

Akashi was startled. At that moment, a figure lunged out from the treetops, appearing directly behind him.

"That's right." Sweat dripped from Hatake Kakashi onto the ground as his short blade pressed in, "It's over."

In a flash, Akashi spun around, his sleeves fluttering as a long snake lunged out.

This time, Hatake Kakashi's expression turned grave, his palm slick with sweat as he gripped his blade.

The two clashed once more. This time, Akashi used both hands; one snake body met the edge of the blade, while the other coiled directly around Hatake Kakashi's arm.

The next second, both of them froze.

Akashi's Gray Snake opened its maw, stopping just two inches from Hatake Kakashi's neck, while Hatake Kakashi's blade had severed most of the snakes, coming to a halt at Akashi's shoulder, the Chakra Blade just barely grazing his clothing.

Behind his mask, Hatake Kakashi looked surprised. Among those in this age group, few could trade blows with him so evenly.

He had defeated many of the Uchiha, but this was the first time he had encountered someone like this.

They had fought to a draw.

With a tacit understanding, both of them stopped simultaneously and slowly backed away.

Akashi deactivated his Sharingan, looked at the scattered snakes on the ground, and let out a long sigh: "This time, it's a draw."

"Perhaps you're right; I couldn't track you intentionally without being discovered." Hatake Kakashi sheathed his blade, "But I'll say it again: I was just passing by."

"My mistake, I truly apologize. I'll treat you to a meal another day to make amends." Akashi smiled.

He knew Hatake Kakashi's personality; if he kept emphasizing it, he was surely being sincere. From a technical standpoint of stealth and surveillance, making such a commotion certainly didn't seem intentional.

Hatake Kakashi let out a soft huff: "Weirdo."

With that, he glanced at Akashi and leaped away.

Akashi watched Hatake Kakashi's retreating figure, his thoughts stirring. In this tragic world, everyone had their own misfortunes, and Hatake Kakashi's experiences were surely the most unfortunate of them all.

Was there not a shred of darkness in Hatake Kakashi's heart?

Or perhaps, his resentment and confusion were masked by the bright and glorious Will of Fire, a way to cover his scars, deceive himself, and forget those sorrowful days, ultimately reconciling with reality.

If one wanted to know the truth about what happened back then, one had to ask the person who knew it best—Orochimaru.

The hour was still early, so Akashi threw himself into training until the night grew dim, at which point he headed toward the outskirts of the village.

Passing through the narrow stone passage, inside the heavy doors, Orochimaru was busy tinkering with various reagents. Although his back was turned to Akashi, he recognized the footsteps.

"Why have you come? I didn't summon you today."

"I wanted to come and help."

"Heh." Orochimaru clearly didn't believe him. He turned his head and, seeing Akashi covered in dust, felt a spark of curiosity: "What happened?"

"I had a fight with Hatake Kakashi."

"Oh?" Orochimaru suddenly became interested: "That genius, huh? Compared to you, who is stronger?"

Who was stronger?

Akashi quickly reviewed the battle. In a duel of standard ninjutsu and taijutsu, the two were evenly matched. The Hatake Kenjutsu was indeed sharp, and their ninjutsu power was comparable, but he had the advantage of more variety and a greater reserve of chakra.

Hatake Kakashi only had one Sharingan, and it consumed a massive amount of energy.

If they had continued to fight, Akashi estimated he would have won by a narrow margin.

He thought for a moment: "He is not beneath me."

But at this moment, he wasn't concerned with who was stronger, but with the truth of the past.

"Lord Orochimaru, I want to ask you something."

"Speak."

"The death of the White Fang."