After running a certain distance, Kakashi's legs gave way. He braced himself against the ground with both hands, and blood from his back dripped down at once.
"How could this happen..."
Ignoring his injuries, Kakashi turned to look at the figure who had attacked him. When he saw it was Uncle Qianwei, his pupils shrank in shock.
Kakashi wasn't the only one. Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Sasuke were all so stunned they could barely speak.
Uncle Qianwei attacking Kakashi—this sudden turn of events left their minds in a complete muddle.
None of them had expected that Uncle Qianwei, their kind-hearted mission client who had grilled fish for them just yesterday, would do such a thing.
"Haha, as expected of Kakashi. You managed to avoid a fatal blow in such a short time."
"But what good does that do you? With your strength as it is, you're no threat at all!"
Qianwei stared at Kakashi's conflicted expression, smiling brightly, though a chill lurked beneath his grin.
"Uncle Qianwei, why are you doing this?"
A cool breeze blew past, bringing Naruto out of his shock. The moment he came to, he shouted angrily.
Remembering how Qianwei had eagerly caught fish with him yesterday, then stood beside the fire, sweating as he grilled them, Naruto still couldn't believe that Qianwei would hurt Kakashi-sensei.
"Uncle Qianwei? Haha! Qianwei died ten years ago. My name is Iwayano. I merely borrowed his identity!"
He peeled off the human-skin mask that had been stuck to his face, revealing his hideous true appearance.
"This is..."
Kakashi studied Iwayano, his gaze lingering on the long scar across his face. He paused in surprise, then froze.
The name Iwayano stirred a vague memory in Kakashi's mind, but too much time had passed; he couldn't quite recall the details.
"Kakashi, does the scar on my face look familiar? Heh... You're the one who gave it to me!"
Noticing Kakashi's surprised expression, Iwayano pointed at the scar on his face and shouted.
Iwayano's words left Kakashi stunned once more.
"Kakashi-sensei knows him?"
Hearing Iwayano's somewhat cryptic words, Naruto and Haruno Sakura were also taken aback. They exchanged glances, while Sasuke frowned.
"I was once a prodigy of Iwagakure, admired by countless villagers and hailed as the Tsuchikage's successor. But after I lost to you, Kakashi, in a Jonin examination match, my life changed completely."
"No one in the village smiled at me anymore. They all mocked me. No one acknowledged my abilities. I was like a bird with a broken wing, abandoned by everyone..."
"Kakashi, I left Iwagakure and became a wandering ninja entirely because of you!"
Recalling the painful experiences he had endured, Iwayano clenched his fists. His furious roar rang through the air.
"Iwayano."
Staring at Iwayano's enraged face, Kakashi took a deep breath after a long moment. At last, he remembered Iwayano, the Iwa ninja he had faced in the final round of the Jonin examination a few years ago.
Iwayano had lost after just one move. Kakashi remembered comforting him when he broke down in tears afterward. He hadn't expected that, a few years later, Iwayano would have fallen into darkness and become a wandering ninja.
"Heh, that's all in the past now. Your head is worth fifty million on the black market, Kakashi. I thought I'd hooked a little fish this time, but I never expected to land such a big one. What luck!"
Turning his gaze back to Kakashi, Iwayano suddenly gave a sinister laugh.
They didn't need to be told what was happening. It was obvious to everyone that Iwayano and Sanli were working together.
At the peak of his strength, Kakashi could have dealt with both Iwayano and Sanli without much trouble. But now that he was badly injured, he had almost no chance of taking them down.
"Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, listen carefully. As your team leader, I order you to leave here immediately!"
Knowing there was no way he could escape, Kakashi shouted to Lin Feng and the others.
"Worry about yourself first!"
With a cold laugh, Iwayano channeled his chakra and swiftly brought his hands together to form Hand Seals.
"Earth Style: Earth Rampart Spears!"
As he finished the seals, Iwayano snarled.
At his shout, numerous stone spears formed from the ground around Kakashi, then shot toward him.
Kakashi coldly watched the spears fly at him, his expression unchanged. He pushed off with one foot and retreated at high speed.
"You're running on fumes!"
Iwayano's eyes widened as he shouted menacingly.
As the sound of the rocks rang out, Kakashi felt a sudden chill run through his skin. Sensing something was wrong, he stopped his rapid retreat, twisted his body, and dodged to the left.
Boom!
As Kakashi moved, another stone spear formed and smashed through the space he had just occupied, gouging a deep crater in the ground.
"It's over!"
A calm voice rang out in midair. Kakashi's face paled as he landed, and a stream of water surged toward him, quickly closing around him to form a sphere that trapped him inside.
"Is this the Water Prison Technique?"
Feeling immense pressure bear down on him, Kakashi knew he wouldn't be able to escape if he stayed trapped. He quickly channeled all his chakra, preparing to break out.
"Heh, too late!"
Sanli placed one hand against the surface of the water sphere and smiled at Kakashi. Then he poured his chakra into the Water Prison to keep it stable.
"Alas, I was careless."
Kakashi sighed softly. Inside the Water Prison, he glanced at Sanli beside him and thought to himself.
Kakashi had been so focused on fighting Iwayano that he'd forgotten about Sanli, who had been inactive for so long. In truth, Sanli had been ready to trap him from the start.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
Seeing Kakashi imprisoned in the Water Prison, Naruto and the others cried out in alarm.
"Heh... What a bunch of stupid brats. Your teacher told you to leave, yet you're still standing right there."
At the sound of Naruto and the others shouting, a mocking smile flickered in Iwayano's narrowed eyes. He let out a sinister laugh.
"Let Kakashi-sensei go, or I'll kill you!"
Naruto glared at Iwayano, fists clenched.
"You think you can kill me? Haha! To be honest, the Konoha High Command must be out of their minds. Sending six- and seven-year-olds on missions is no different from sending them to their deaths!"
"You're all going to die sooner or later. I may as well finish you off today!"
Hearing Naruto's childish threat, Iwayano couldn't help throwing back his head and laughing uproariously.
"Bastard! Don't underestimate us!"
As Iwayano laughed, Naruto clenched his fists and charged straight at him.