"Whoosh!"
A streak of blue light traced a semicircle through the air, easily slicing through an Iwa Ninja's neck.
"That's another one!"
The white-masked boy turned around, breathing hard. Then he suddenly kicked out, sending an Iwa Ninja who had just emerged from the ground flying a long way.
At the same time, he pushed off with one foot and shot forward like lightning. One thrust pierced the enemy's heart before the Iwa Ninja could even react.
"You're amazing..."
The black-haired boy who had come with him wore a wry, helpless smile. He swung a pair of short blades so quickly that they formed an airtight wall around him, emitting a sharp whistling sound. The Iwa Ninja Genin were no better than paper dolls against that blade wind. A single hit could cost them a limb—or leave them as a mangled heap of flesh...
The two were right in the middle of the battlefield. A battle involving more than a thousand people was no ordinary affair. After an initial period of probing, the Konoha and Iwagakure forces had now clashed in a chaotic melee.
There was no need for tactics here. The shinobi only had to form teams and kill every enemy they saw!
Qi's teammates were still Kakashi, Obito, and Ling. So far, the four-person team hadn't run into anything they couldn't handle. Progress was only natural for young shinobi, and it was clear that not only Qi and Kakashi, but Obito and Ling had also improved by leaps and bounds.
Kakashi especially had begun to fight more like White Fang. He focused on Earth and Lightning Release, using the characteristics of both to strengthen his Taijutsu. Last time, he had obtained the personal scrolls of two Kumogakure elite Jonin, and the benefits he'd gained from them were considerable.
Honestly, Qi had wondered more than once what Kakashi would be like ten years from now if he never got the Sharingan...
It wasn't just idle speculation. Now that Qi had joined the team and so many things had changed, he didn't think Obito would still have to sacrifice himself or Kakashi would still have to lose an eye.
It wasn't that he looked down on the enemy. He was confident—especially after learning the strengths and weaknesses of those few Iwa Ninja. When the time came, he was sure he could kill them without any of the four having to make a sacrifice.
The butterfly effect sounded mysterious, but it really wasn't a big deal. Qi had never taken it seriously. The so-called plot meant little in a world so different from the anime. If he tried to survive by relying on his knowledge of the plot, he'd eventually die.
Under the circumstances, he cared even less about changing some damn plot. All that mattered to him was whether it would cause trouble...
And as far as he could tell, helping Kakashi when the time came and leading him down a different path wouldn't hurt him.
Besides, he didn't want to see Obito die. People had hearts, after all. After fighting alongside him on the battlefield, Qi couldn't bring himself to turn a blind eye...
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet!"
Speak of the devil. Just as Qi was thinking about Obito's death, Obito unleashed a Fire Style technique nearby, setting a group of Iwa Ninja ablaze.
Fortunately, the four of them were an elite squad and worked well together, so they could fight with a little more ease amid the chaos. The others weren't nearly so lucky.
By now, Konoha's dead were every bit as numerous as the enemy's. Both sides were losing people in organized units, one squad after another.
One mistake could ruin a lifetime, but here, one person's mistake could doom an entire squad...
Whoosh!
A rush of air sounded as another huge cluster of Shuriken came flying down from above, darkening the sky.
"Tsk!"
Qi spat and gripped his short blade in reverse.
"Vacuum Barrier!"
He swung the blade, and the air around them began to surge. The friction and slicing currents formed a wall of wind above the four of them, some distance overhead. A clanging rang out as the Shuriken bounced away, their momentum completely canceled.
Even if they had managed to reach the four of them, they wouldn't have posed any threat...
But that gave several Iwa Ninja Genin a chance to close in. Qi's move had clearly left an opening.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"
Without a second thought, Qi hurled a rapid volley of compressed air spheres at them. The Iwa Ninja Genin, who had tried to take advantage and ended up worse off for it, were knocked down in a heap...
"Lightning Release! Thunder Beast!"
Kakashi followed up at just the right moment with a Lightning Release technique. The crackling Thunder Beast surged through the Iwa Ninja who hadn't managed to dodge, circling among them before finally dissipating into the air, as if reluctant to leave.
All it left behind were numerous charred corpses...
"Are those kills yours or mine?"
He even asked Qi that...
"Whoever killed them gets the credit!"
Qi replied, exasperated. He was beginning to regret betting with Kakashi more and more. What a headache...
"Kakashi, we can't hold out! We have to break through! More and more Iwa Ninja are closing in!"
Obito's voice suddenly rang out.
Qi and Kakashi looked around. Iwa Ninja were emerging in a steady stream from the ground and between the rocks.
Meanwhile, Konoha's forces seemed unable to hold on and were showing signs of retreating. Their shinobi were still resisting stubbornly, but they were at a clear numerical disadvantage. The Iwa Ninja Army moved quickly, and its reinforcements always arrived before Konoha's.
"We can't retreat. If we do, we'll be scattered—and then we'll really be dead!"
Qi considered it and decided to use Ice Release. It would cost quite a bit of chakra, but with so many enemies, it was worth it.
"Kakashi, take Obito and Ling and move toward our people. I'll give these Iwa Ninja something to remember!"
"Got it."
Kakashi answered, knocking down an Iwa Ninja with a casual strike. Then he immediately headed toward the Konoha shinobi who looked close to being overwhelmed, with Obito and Ling beside him, rescuing allies and taking down enemies as they went.
"Heh. There aren't any Jonin among you, are there? I haven't even seen a single elite Chunin. If your superiors want to play the numbers game, I'll give you more than you bargained for!"
Qi sneered, but instead of using Ice Release, he began forming the hand seals for a Water Release technique.
"Has this guy lost his mind?"
Seeing Qi form the Water Release hand signs, the Iwa Ninja Genin who had spotted him alone and surrounded him froze in surprise. But they didn't stop. They swarmed forward, intending to kill him outright.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
With a sinister grin, Qi unleashed a technique improved by the Second. Though it had the same name, its power was now entirely different.
A white tornado of water formed on the open ground. It began just as the Iwa Ninja rushed within range of Qi.
Those farther away were fine, but the ones nearby were tossed around like kites. The water tornado spun them until they lost their bearings and passed out, then flung them into the air. And the tornado kept growing!
"What is that?!"
"Is there a Water Release technique like that...?"
The bizarre sight stunned the Iwa Ninja nearby and drew the attention of even more enemies farther away.
"It looks like it's about to burst! Use the Stealth Technique and get away!"
"You're the ones using the Stealth Technique! Now burst!"
As many of the Iwa Ninja began using the Stealth Technique to dive underground, Qi let out a wild laugh and triggered the attack form of the Water Dragon Bullet Technique.
"BOOM!!!"
This wasn't the ordinary rushing sound of a Water Release technique. It was a genuine explosion. The pressure built up by the spinning waterspout was released all at once! A mass of high-pressure waves surged nearly a hundred meters in an instant!
The Iwa Ninja who had tried to use the Stealth Technique were now in for a world of pain. Half their bodies were underground, and when the waves struck, they didn't even have time to cry out before being torn in two!
Those who hadn't used the Stealth Technique and had instead activated the Hardening Technique were smarter. They were swept away by the waves all the same, but at least they survived...
"That's the Second's Water Release technique!"
A cry rang out from a group of Konoha shinobi watching part of the battle from a rise.
"There's no mistaking it. Only the Second's Water Dragon Bullet Technique looks like that!"
"What?!"
The news sent shockwaves through the crowd, and all the Konoha shinobi present began murmuring.
"That can't be right. That's only one of the outer units. The strongest among them is an elite Chunin at most!"
Konoha had plenty of shinobi who could use Water Release, but no one had ever managed to inherit the Second's Water Release techniques. The requirements were simply too high. Even among the true Jonin, there wasn't a single person capable of it.
Who could have guessed that a forward unit on the front line—one with no one stronger than an elite Chunin—would have someone who could use the Second's Water Release technique? It was astonishing!
"Send people to reinforce that unit immediately!"
A Konoha shinobi who seemed to be leading them quickly came to his senses. He was a Jonin and knew how valuable this information could be if it proved true.
"If that's really the case, we have to save the one who used the technique. We can't let him die here!"