The Wager

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Killing had always been a shadow in Uchiha Yue's heart. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to adjust to the world of shinobi, a world of slaughter.

In his previous life, Uchiha Yue had lived in a peaceful era. Under the restraints of the law, how could an ordinary person even think of killing someone?

That was exactly why Uchiha Yue feared he might never truly fit into the world of shinobi. Even if he trained hard in Konoha and reached the level of a Genin, he couldn't become a true shinobi unless he overcame the shadow in his heart. But now, with three cold corpses lying before him, Uchiha Yue had calmed down and felt no fear at all.

In an instant, it was as if Uchiha Yue had shattered the shackles holding him back. He could even feel every cell in his body brimming with excitement.

Having completely overcome his fear of killing, Uchiha Yue's gaze grew much sharper. Then he continued eliminating the Gale Bandit Group's lookouts.

"Whoosh..."

Using the simplest method, Uchiha Yue lightly tossed the Kunai in his hand. It traced a graceful arc through the air and plunged into one of the Gale Bandit Group members' throats. And the moment the Kunai pierced the man's throat, a grave look flashed in Uchiha Yue's eyes.

The next second...

A Chakra Thread, fine as a strand of hair, shot from Uchiha Yue's right hand and wrapped around the Kunai!

"Falling Moon Style: Kunai Manipulation Technique!"

The Kunai that had pierced the Gale Bandit Group member's throat suddenly spun strangely in midair. Then Uchiha Yue sent it flying toward another member of the group. Before the man could react, Uchiha Yue had already turned him into a cold corpse.

In the darkness, Uchiha Yue became the Death God, and the Kunai in his hand grew as sharp as the Death God's scythe.

Moreover, as he eliminated the Gale Bandit Group's lookouts, Uchiha Yue deliberately conserved his Chakra so he could fight the group's actual members. Now, whenever he fought, he used the simplest method to kill his opponents. And the simplest way to kill was undoubtedly with a Kunai. So Uchiha Yue hid in the shadows, waited for his targets to appear, then killed them with a Kunai before they knew what hit them.

At the same time, Hatake Kakashi had also killed three of the Gale Bandit Group's lookouts, though he was slightly slower than Uchiha Yue.

After that, amid the slaughter in the darkness, Uchiha Yue gradually joined up with Hatake Kakashi.

However, when Uchiha Yue and Hatake Kakashi met, they looked very different.

To conserve the Chakra inside his body, Uchiha Yue had avoided fighting the Gale Bandit Group's lookouts head-on. So even though he had already killed six of the group's members, he didn't have a single speck of dirt or blood on him. Only his palm, where he gripped the Kunai, bore a faint smear of red.

Hatake Kakashi, by contrast, was covered in his enemies' blood. Even his mask carried a pungent, bloody stench.

Clearly, Hatake Kakashi didn't have Uchiha Yue's skill with throwing weapons, so he could only fight at close range with the Hatake Sword Style, again and again. Perhaps Hatake Kakashi was far more ruthless in his killing, but every fight against a Gale Bandit Group member cost him a great deal of Chakra and stamina. By comparison, Uchiha Yue's way of killing was undoubtedly more effective.

At the very least, Uchiha Yue still had plenty of stamina and Chakra, allowing him to fight much longer than Hatake Kakashi.

Seeing how unruffled Uchiha Yue looked while he himself was covered in enemy blood, Hatake Kakashi frowned slightly and asked, "Uchiha Yue, how many mission targets have you taken out?"

"Six."

Hearing Hatake Kakashi's question, Uchiha Yue felt no emotional stir at all about killing. He even smiled as he said, "Kakashi, I think there's something wrong with the way you're fighting. You shouldn't be wasting so much stamina and Chakra. The intelligence says the Gale Bandit Group has at least a hundred members. You've already spent a huge amount of Chakra and stamina on these nobodies. Will you be able to last until the end?"

"Hmph, mind your own business!"

Hatake Kakashi snorted, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.

Even Hatake Kakashi had to admit that Uchiha Yue had a point.

But with his proud nature, how could Hatake Kakashi admit defeat in front of Uchiha Yue?

So after snorting, he wiped the blood from the White Fang Blade in his hand and said, "Uchiha Yue, want to make a bet? You've taken out six enemies so far, while I've only taken out four. Let's see which of us takes out more from here on. What do you say?"

As soon as Hatake Kakashi finished speaking, an idea surfaced in Uchiha Yue's mind. The smile at the corner of his mouth grew even wider as he said, "Sure! Let's see who kills more enemies! But, Kakashi, it wouldn't be much fun without something at stake, would it?"

Uchiha Yue paused briefly, then continued with a smile. "How about this? If you win today's bet, I'll teach you all the Falling Moon Style Ninjutsu I created. That'll be the prize. But if you lose... you'll lend me the Hatake Sword Style scroll for three days. How's that?"

"Fine. It's a deal!"

Even though Hatake Kakashi knew how important the Hatake Sword Style was, he still agreed to bet with Uchiha Yue. Clearly, Hatake Kakashi was letting his own personality get the better of him. If he weren't so proud, he would never have wagered his family's Hatake Sword Style. But Hatake Kakashi never believed he'd be the one to lose, so he answered Uchiha Yue without the slightest hesitation.

Seeing that Hatake Kakashi had agreed to the bet, Uchiha Yue disappeared from in front of him the next instant.

There was no doubt that Uchiha Yue didn't think Hatake Kakashi could beat him. Hatake Kakashi was already running low on stamina and Chakra. Uchiha Yue was certain that after Kakashi killed three more Gale Bandit Group members, his Chakra would be completely depleted. Then Uchiha Yue would surely win the bet!

After that...

Even after making the bet with Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Yue continued using throwing weapons to kill the Gale Bandit Group members.

However, since Uchiha Yue needed some time to kill each member of the Gale Bandit Group, Hatake Kakashi gradually began to catch up with him. But as time passed, Hatake Kakashi started to feel his Chakra running low, and he began to struggle to take down the bandits.

Uchiha Yue, on the other hand, was still handling the Gale Bandit Group members with ease. Sometimes, all it took was a crook of his finger to kill an enemy.

Seeing that he was about to lose his bet with Uchiha Yue, a ferocious look flashed in Hatake Kakashi's eyes. Then he charged straight into the heart of the Gale Bandit Group.

At the same time, Uchiha Yue clearly noticed Hatake Kakashi's move.

Watching Hatake Kakashi charge straight into the heart of the Gale Bandit Group as his hands rapidly formed Hand Seals, a flash of anger crossed Uchiha Yue's eyes!

"Damn it, Hatake Kakashi! Are you trying to get me killed?"