Kakashi's pupils suddenly contracted.
In the blink of an eye, he did not even turn around before the silent hand reaching for his back touched the folds of cloth over his heart.
Years of battle instinct kicked in at its fullest—his right hand reached behind him toward his waist, his five fingers gripping the hilt of the White Fang tanto.
The instant the blade left its sheath, a silver-white flash of steel drew a perfect arc beneath the moonlight.
Whoosh.
The blade precisely swept through the direction from which that hand extended, meeting not the slightest resistance. Its edge seemed to pass through a phantom.
It cut straight into the mask on the figure behind him. A smooth slash ran from the upper right corner to the lower left, cutting through the entire spiral-patterned mask.
Having failed to land a hit, Kakashi did not linger for even a moment. He flipped backward and threw three shuriken in rapid succession while in midair.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The shuriken traced three straight paths, striking the figure's chest, shoulder, and abdomen with precision.
Yet all three shuriken passed through his body as if through empty air, embedding themselves in the wall behind him with three dull thuds.
The moment Kakashi landed, his hands had already completed their seals.
"Lightning Release: Earth Current—!"
Crackle, crackle, crackle—
Several bolts of blue lightning raced across the ground, exploding into blazing arcs of electricity.
The lightning rushed toward the figure at tremendous speed, covering both his feet, legs, waist, and abdomen.
The lightning passed through his body, leaving scorched marks on the ground, while the figure remained standing motionlessly where he was.
The man slowly spoke, his voice low and hoarse, carrying an indescribable undertone.
"Young one of the Hatake Clan, your ninjutsu chaining is fast."
Kakashi