Ceasefire

How long had it been? He had already found himself in another life-or-death situation.

Kakashi sighed softly. Trying to live like a salted fish was really hard.

But for some reason, whenever he reached a critical moment between life and death, he felt incredibly excited, as if another personality were lurking inside him.

Murakami and Ryuzaki had already closed to within ten steps of Kakashi. The two sprang forward at the same time, charging him with long blades that gleamed with chilling light.

Kakashi pulled up his forehead protector, revealing his scarlet Sharingan.

At a critical moment like this, he still had to rely on this ancestor.

"Lightning!" Kakashi formed a hand seal with one hand and shouted coldly.

Lightning-nature chakra surged joyfully from Kakashi's body, instantly coating White Fang and forming dangerous arcs of electricity along its blade.

"Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!" Ryuzaki took a deep breath, slapped his stomach, and spat out a wind sphere packed with chakra.

Kakashi swiftly retreated, dodging the wind sphere Ryuzaki had launched.

On the other side, Murakami was already only one step away from Kakashi.

"Tiger-Rabbit-Dog-Ram-Dragon, Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"

A fierce gale sliced toward Kakashi like a blade. Unfazed by the danger, Kakashi's White Fang surged with blue light.

"Sword Art: Azure Lotus!"

Taking advantage of Kakashi blocking, Ryuzaki raised a kunai and lunged straight for the center of Kakashi's back.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"

Wind-nature chakra poured into the kunai in his hand, instantly transforming Ryuzaki's kunai into a sharp short sword.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Sakura Hashimoto, who had already opened up some distance, made her move. Scorching flames came at him from every direction, forcing Ryuzaki to halt his attack and turn to defend against the incoming Fire Release.

"Damn woman, don't let yourself fall into my hands later, or you'll be in for it," Ryuzaki cursed.

Murakami exchanged several blows with Kakashi before pulling back. Frowning, he said to Ryuzaki,

"Idiot, don't lose focus on the battlefield!"

"Yes, Lord Murakami!" Ryuzaki answered somewhat fearfully.

"Use that move!"

The two figures flashed away, forming hand seals simultaneously in midair.

"Snake-Ram-Monkey-Boar-Horse-Tiger, Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" Murakami used Fire Release.

Ryuzaki slapped his stomach again. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

As the saying went, fire rode the wind. The Great Fireball was propelled toward Kakashi by the raging gale, swelling and spreading through the air as it came roaring at him like a gigantic fire dragon.

An idea struck Kakashi. Perhaps he could use that move!

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"

Kakashi expelled a high-pressure wind mass even stronger than Ryuzaki's. The mask on his face was almost instantly torn into pieces.

The violent gale sealed off the incoming flames, and the momentary vacuum snuffed them out completely.

Damn it!

Kakashi could clearly feel his chakra draining away. That move had consumed at least a quarter of his chakra.

He had to end this quickly!

After their earlier exchange, Kakashi had made a rough assessment.

Murakami possessed Jōnin-level strength, while Ryuzaki had the strength of an Elite Jōnin.

Then... Ryuzaki first!

Kakashi pushed off the ground and rushed toward Murakami, who had just landed.

Murakami's expression changed. His hands flew through seals as he prepared to cast a defensive ninjutsu.

Ryuzaki hurried back to support him as well. If Lord Murakami were taken down, he definitely would not be a match for this boy!

However, Sakura Hashimoto's hidden weapons flew toward Ryuzaki once more, severely delaying his attempt to return to Murakami's aid.

"Damn it!" Ryuzaki cursed loudly.

Seeing this, Kakashi realized his chance had come.

A Kakashi quietly emerged from the earth, his hands beginning to form seals.

"Ox-Rabbit-Monkey-Snake-Ram, Pseudo-Senjutsu: Heavenly Thunder!"

The moment Kakashi's ninjutsu took shape, everyone present felt that violent lightning-nature chakra.

That feeling... not good, it's behind me!

Ryuzaki's eyes widened in terror, as though he had understood something, but it was already too late. A bolt of lightning as thick as an arm instantly pierced through his body.

Rampaging lightning-nature chakra tore through his internal organs. Ryuzaki dropped helplessly to his knees, staring at the charred hole in his body as the light gradually faded from his eyes.

"Bastard!" Murakami cursed. How could he not realize that the Kakashi before him had only been a Shadow Clone?

With a casual strike, he dispelled Kakashi's Shadow Clone. For a moment, Murakami was caught in a dilemma, uncertain whether he was truly a match for Kakashi.

Not far away, Kakashi had somehow put his mask back on.

He stared coldly at Murakami without making another move.

There was no other reason. He was out of chakra!

Kakashi looked calm, but in truth, he had little confidence himself.

His earlier back-and-forth with them had already consumed a great deal of chakra. Then, to defeat Ryuzaki in one blow, he had used the immensely powerful Pseudo-Senjutsu—and immense power meant immense chakra consumption...

Right now, Kakashi was severely low on chakra!

The two held their weapons and stared at one another, each afraid that the other would suddenly launch an attack.

After casually deflecting Sakura Hashimoto's hidden weapon, Murakami looked at Kakashi and praised him.

"You're very capable. You haven't disgraced your father's name."

Kakashi did not appreciate it in the slightest. This man had just killed his companion.

If his chakra reserves allowed it, he would have chopped off Murakami's head and offered it to Naiquan.

"Spare me your insincere pleasantries. We both know that if we weren't worried we might not be a match for each other, we would have settled this life and death long ago," Kakashi said coldly.

"In that case, why don't we stop here? What do you say?" Murakami proposed.

"I can consider it, but your men have to stop first," Kakashi said.

Unlike before, when both sides had been determined to fight to the death, Kakashi's side had now demonstrated enough strength to gain the right to negotiate with Murakami.

Since they could not finish the other side off, cutting their losses in time was the best option. If they truly kept fighting, they might end up wiping out their whole team.

Murakami licked his slightly dry lips. "We'll count to three and have our men stop at the same time. How about it?"

Kakashi nodded. "Fine."

"One, two, three!"

"Kenpei, Dark Two, stop."

Kenpei Aburame and Dark Two withdrew at the same time, leaping several steps back while still watching each other warily.

"Then we'll end things here. Everyone takes fifty steps back, and then we go our separate ways."

Murakami stared intently into Kakashi's eyes. If Kakashi showed even the slightest hesitation, they could only fight desperately.

"Fine," Kakashi said with an indifferent expression.

Murakami let out a breath of relief. "Dark Two, let's go."

The two squads watched each other closely as they slowly backed away.

Once they were far enough apart, both sides immediately plunged behind obstacles that could conceal their figures.

"Young man, I have a feeling that before long, you'll make a name for yourself in the Shinobi World," Murakami's voice carried from afar.

Kakashi said coldly, "What a coincidence. I have a feeling too. Before long, my short blade will be buried in your chest."