Bloodbath on the Icefield

Seeing that his opening tactic had achieved even better results than expected, Kakashi let out a slight sigh of relief.

Catching the enemy off guard, he had used the only two smoke bombs in his ninja tool pouch, originally intending only to incapacitate the opponent's sensory ninja.

Getting one extra enemy combatant tied down was an unexpected bonus.

The next stretch of time would be his best chance to escape. He had to seize it firmly.

He carefully sensed the amount of Senjutsu energy remaining in his body. Less than seventy percent remained.

Both sides in the standoff had clear objectives, so there was no unnecessary conversation. Sashō instructed his two remaining subordinates.

"Fight with the intent to kill this brat. There's no need to hold back deliberately. If he can't survive, then blame his bad luck."

"Summoning Technique!" Kakashi summoned Kōsei instead.

"So it's the Hidden Cloud Village this time, Kakashi."

Kōsei's body was far larger than that of an ordinary snake, covered in visibly hard scales, with strange fleshy protrusions on both its head and tail.

It placed considerable pressure on the three Hidden Cloud ninjas present.

"Selim, you'll deal with this giant snake later." Sashō began arranging their tactics.

"Machi, come with me and take down this brat directly. Watch out for his blade. Go!" The instant he finished speaking, Sashō and the other two moved.

Kakashi spat out a fireball, slightly slowing Sashō and Machi's advance. Immediately after, Kōsei's long tail swept through the air at the three of them like a streak of red light.

Reacting swiftly, Sashō used the Body Flicker Technique to evade and appeared behind Kakashi.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Strike!"

Several pillars of lightning appeared in the air above Kakashi's head and crashed down at him violently. Forced to stop forming hand seals, Kakashi leaped onto Kōsei's back and avoided the attack.

Energy attached to the soles of his feet firmly anchored him to Kōsei's body, preventing him from being thrown off by Kōsei's high-speed movements.

Kōsei was currently charging at Machi at full speed.

The experienced Machi and Selim did not panic just because their planned deployment had failed.

Machi responded calmly, while Selim, farther away, immediately began using Earth Release techniques in an attempt to disrupt Kōsei's advance.

"Race against time, Kōsei! Get me over there!"

Hearing Kakashi's words from his back, Kōsei understood.

To avoid affecting its charging speed, Kōsei rammed straight through the stone pillar blocking its path.

As it advanced, its body twisted slightly to avoid the earthen spears rising from below, originally aimed at its vital points. However, the evasive movement was not large enough, and it failed to avoid them completely. The scales on the grazed portion of its body shattered, leaving blood and flesh mangled.

Its head swept from right to left.

Kakashi, riding on its back, fired several shuriken, sealing off the route above Machi.

Seeing the gaping maw bite toward him, Machi instinctively moved right, toward Selim.

The corner of Kakashi's mouth beneath his mask lifted slightly. The moment he noticed Machi's right shoulder beginning to dip, he rapidly formed hand seals.

"Now!" he shouted.

Having already understood Kakashi's intent, Kōsei slammed its powerful tail against the icefield with all its strength, sending ice shards flying and blocking Sashō, who was trying to approach from behind.

Its waist and abdomen exerted force again, changing the direction of its thrust as it closely pursued Machi.

When it came within less than five meters of Machi and Selim, it unleashed its ultimate move.

"Sage Art: Bewilderment!"

But Kakashi, who had been prepared, struck even faster.

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Technique!" He took a deep breath, and his chest expanded sharply.

A dark crimson fire dragon tinged with purple burst from Kakashi's mouth, targeting Machi and Selim, who stood close together.

When they saw Kakashi forming hand seals, the two had intended to dodge, but Kōsei, moving at high speed, enveloped them in a wide-range genjutsu.

Their consciousness wavered for an instant, and their bodies froze. They were struck head-on by the Dragon Flame Technique, empowered by Senjutsu energy.

The pain and suffocation caused by the searing heat made them scream miserably.

The flames continued to burn, and Kakashi did not dare stop channeling his output. Even as Sashō approached from behind, he chose to trust that Kōsei could block his attack.

Kakashi was not optimistic enough to believe that an enhanced B-rank Dragon Flame Technique could take out two Jonin enemies.

Seeing his two subordinates fall into Kakashi's trap, Sashō's abundant chakra surged violently. He entered Lightning Release Chakra Mode in an instant and used the Body Flicker Technique. He exerted so much force that the recoil cracked the ice beneath his feet in rippling fractures.

Just as Kakashi continued channeling Senjutsu energy without daring to pause, Sashō's figure suddenly appeared in midair.

A vicious elbow strike shot toward Kakashi's lower back.

If it landed solidly, Kakashi would likely be forced to use the True Clone Technique.

But Kōsei did not disappoint Kakashi. Risking the loss of its tail, it raised the tail infused with all its chakra and blocked Sashō's heavy, fierce blow head-on.

Blood sprayed through the air. Kōsei's tail was brutally broken by Sashō, and at the very instant it fulfilled its mission, Kōsei turned into a cloud of smoke and returned to Ryūchi Cave. Kakashi, protected behind Kōsei, still did not escape unscathed.

Sashō's elbow, still carrying forward momentum, struck him in the back.

"Cough! Ah!" Kakashi spat out a mouthful of bright red blood, interrupting the Dragon Flame Technique.

Fortunately, the prize for winning the Chunin Ninja Exams had been a set of protective inner armor.

Sashō was an Elite Jonin. Even Kōsei, a snake not specialized in physical strength, could not completely withstand his all-out strike in fury.

If that inner armor had not drained the last of Sashō's attacking force, Kakashi would most likely have lost his ability to fight or even suffered grave, life-threatening injuries.

The struck Kakashi flew toward the burned Machi and Selim.

"Damn it!" Knowing full well that his strike had not achieved its full effect, Sashō saw the direction Kakashi had been sent flying and immediately fell into despair.

Before he even landed, the short blade behind Kakashi flashed. He slashed Machi across the carotid artery.

Machi had only just escaped the effects of the genjutsu. After suffering high-temperature burns and that fatal blow, he had lost all ability to move, able only to watch dark red blood bubble from his neck.

Kakashi's body paused. He forcibly suppressed the blood churning inside him, then turned and slashed again at Selim.

However, the bodily stiffness caused by the heavy blow he had just suffered, even if only for an instant, cost him the opportunity.

Selim, already a taijutsu expert, had greater endurance than Machi. The Dragon Flame Technique had severely injured him, but it had not completely robbed him of his combat ability.

After Kakashi released the technique, Selim quickly regained his senses. At the critical moment, he raised his left arm to block the short blade aimed at his neck.

He lost his arm, but gained a chance at life. His upper body had already leaned back slightly, avoiding the fatal strike before he fled the area in panic.

Kakashi, about to give chase, was stopped by Sashō.

He had no choice but to cross his arms over his chest and block Sashō's furious side kick.

"Boom!"

Kakashi was kicked flying and smashed hard into a small iceberg, before shattered ice buried him beneath it.